CHP investigates first locally acquired measles case this year

CHP investigates first locally acquired measles case this year      
     The case involves a 32-year-old female who developed a fever, sore throat, cough, red eyes and rash on February 28. She sought medical attention from a private doctor on March 4 and was immediately referred to the Accident and Emergency Department of Princess Margaret Hospital, where she was admitted for treatment. Her clinical specimen was tested positive for the measles virus upon nucleic acid testing. The patient is currently receiving treatment under isolation and is in stable condition.
      
     An epidemiological investigation revealed that the patient had not received measles vaccination and had no travel history during the incubation period. She has three household contacts. Five additional individuals who visited her residence during the incubation period are also classified as close contacts. All eight close contacts reported having received measles vaccination and are asymptomatic so far.
      
     During the communicable period, the patient primarily stayed at home, except when seeking medical consultation or staying outside the entrance of a primary school near her residence. The CHP has contacted the private clinic and the primary school concerned to identify any high-risk individuals. Measles vaccinations will be arranged for those who are not immune to measles. Regarding the eight close contacts, the CHP will put them under medical surveillance. 

     The CHP will continue to investigate and follow up on the case.
 
     “Many regions around the world are currently experiencing measles outbreaks. North America (including the United States, Canada and Mexico) and Southeast Asia (including Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines) have seen persistent measles outbreaks in recent years due to low vaccination coverage rates. Over 1 100 cases have been recorded in the United States in the first two months of this year, approaching half of last year’s total and significantly higher than the same period last year. In Europe, the number of measles cases in the United Kingdom and Italy has increased recently, with 195 and 84 cases respectively since January this year. In Asia, the incidence of measles remains high in the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. Japan has also seen a substantial rise in cases this year, with 71 cases recorded as of February 25, exceeding figures for the same period over the past six years. Singapore and Australia recorded 15 and 57 measles cases respectively this year, up from two and 21 cases during the same period last year. Most overseas cases mainly affected people who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. This shows the importance of maintaining a high vaccination rate and herd immunity within the community,” said the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui.
      
     “The incubation period of measles (i.e. the time from infection to onset of illness) is seven to 21 days. Symptoms include fever, skin rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes. If travellers returning from places with high incidence or outbreak of measles develop symptoms of measles (e.g. fever and rash), they should seek medical advice immediately and avoid contact with non-immune persons, especially pregnant women and infants under one year old. They should also report their symptoms and prior travel history to healthcare workers so that appropriate infection control measures can be implemented at the healthcare facilities to prevent any potential spread,” Dr Tsui added.      ​For more information on measles, the public may visit the CHP’s measles thematic pageIssued at HKT 19:12