Measles outbreak in Tenerife linked to UK child tourist

The Canary Islands Health Ministry has reported a measles outbreak on Tenerife involving four confirmed cases, one of whom required hospital admission. The source of the outbreak has been traced to a child from the United Kingdom who had been holidaying on the island, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.

Index case and transmission

The index case for this outbreak was reported from the UK, as it was confirmed after the child returned home having spent several days on Tenerife, according to the Health Ministry. The three subsequent cases all had some form of contact with each other, and none had received the measles vaccine, as it was not indicated for their age group – all three are aged between 45 and 55.

Health protocols activated

As soon as the Directorate General of Public Health became aware of the suspected cases, it activated protocols for assessment, monitoring and contact tracing in an effort to control the spread of the disease. Under these protocols, health officials continue to monitor all individuals who may have come into contact with the confirmed cases.

Vaccination plea

The Directorate General of Public Health has stressed the importance of receiving both doses of the measles vaccine included in the childhood immunisation schedule to achieve individual immunity and prevent transmission to those who, for whatever reason, cannot receive the vaccine. The health authority reminds the public that vaccination is the safest and most effective way to avoid contracting and spreading measles. The vaccine is administered in two doses – at 12 months and again at three years – and 95 per cent of the Canary Islands’ population is correctly vaccinated within the first year of life.

Health officials also recommend vaccination for teenagers, young people and adults born after 1978 who have not had the disease and have no documented history of receiving two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. The Public Health authority is therefore calling on the public to check the vaccination status of children aged three to ensure they have received two doses of the measles vaccine. Those born after 1978 who have no record of being vaccinated or having contracted the disease naturally are urged to consult their local health centre to receive the vaccine.

Healthcare workers, in particular, are at higher risk of exposure to potential cases and account for a significant proportion of cases in outbreaks reported in Spain and other countries. They are advised to ensure they are properly immunised against the disease.

Vaccination history in Spain

In Spain, measles vaccination was introduced into the childhood immunisation schedule in 1975, and from 1981 it was combined into the MMR vaccine. A second dose was added in 1996, rapidly improving coverage and achieving a drastic reduction in measles epidemics. Since the year 2000, measles has been an uncommon disease, mainly affecting unvaccinated adults and children under one year of age.

Measles symptoms and transmission

Measles is a febrile exanthematous illness that begins after an incubation period of 10 to 14 days with fever, nasal congestion and cough, sometimes preceded by small red spots with a whitish centre appearing on the oral mucosa (inside the cheeks). The rash, which appears between the third and seventh day after the onset of symptoms, begins on the face and spreads across the entire body.

The measles virus (morbillivirus) is highly contagious and is transmitted through the air via droplets that can remain suspended for up to two hours, or through direct contact with the nasal or throat secretions of infected individuals. While generally a mild illness, measles can cause complications such as pneumonia, otitis media, laryngotracheitis and diarrhoea, and in rare cases can lead to encephalitis or death, particularly in childhood.

Contagious period and prevention measures

The period during which a person with measles is contagious runs from four days before the rash appears until four days after it disappears. During this time, it is essential to avoid contact with non-immunised individuals. The health authority notes that the virus contained in the vaccine has not been shown to be transmissible.

Vaccination within 72 hours of exposure can prevent the disease or reduce its severity. During an outbreak, susceptible contacts who are not vaccinated – either due to medical contraindications or other reasons – are advised, wherever possible, to be excluded from the environment where the case occurred until 18 days after the onset of the rash in the last case of the outbreak.

Rising incidence in previously eliminated countries

In recent years, there has been an increase in measles incidence in several countries where the disease had previously been eliminated – including the United Kingdom – as a result of declining public trust in vaccines. If vaccination coverage falls, measles can reappear and spread rapidly, causing outbreaks that can lead to hospitalisations and deaths even in developed countries. This was demonstrated in an epidemic outbreak in the US state of Texas, where the death of an unvaccinated child was recorded from this easily preventable disease.

Source

Measles outbreak in Tenerife linked to UK child tourist