Different measles outbreaks in Belgium, January to June 2016 - a challenge for public health

Euro Surveill. 2016 Aug 11;21(32):30313. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.32.30313.

Abstract

During the first half of 2016, several outbreaks of measles were reported in the three regions of Belgium. Main challenges for public health were severe complications occurring in adults, nosocomial transmission and infection in healthcare workers. Here, we describe those outbreaks and lessons learnt for public health.

Keywords: Measles; elimination; epidemiology; outbreak; vaccine-preventable diseases.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Distribution
  • Belgium / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Contact Tracing
  • Cross Infection / epidemiology*
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Health Personnel
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Infant
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / statistics & numerical data*
  • Male
  • Measles / epidemiology*
  • Measles / prevention & control
  • Measles / transmission*
  • Measles Vaccine / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Public Health*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Vaccination
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Measles Vaccine