EpidemicsNew Zealand fears uncontrollable measles outbreak
Public health officials in New Zealand are racing to contain a measles outbreak that may have infected more than 300 people; measles is a highly infectious virus that can be spread through sneezing or coughing; the outbreak began with nine infected passengers aboard a flight; so far officials have identified eleven cases; two cases were from people not aboard the flight suggesting that the disease has begun to spread from person to person; out of every 1000 cases, there is typically one death and 100 hospital admissions; health officials are racing to identify people who may have come into contact with the infected and limit exposure; officials are concerned that they cannot contain the spread of the disease
New Zealand's Canterbury Health Laboratory // Source: govt.nz
Public health officials in New Zealand are racing to contain a measles outbreak that may have infected more than 300 people.
Officials have identified Emirates Flight EK434 as the source of the outbreak. On 11 January the flight landed with nine infected passengers.
Since arriving it is believed that the infected passengers have come into contact with at least 300 people, which public health workers have identified. Measles is a highly infectious virus that can be spread through sneezing or coughing. With the widespread introduction of the measles vaccine, most individuals have become immune to the disease.
Symptoms include rashes, coughing, fever, and white spots in the mouth. Out of every 1,000 cases, there is typically one death and 100 hospital admissions.
So far public health officials have identified eleven cases of measles, all within people under twenty years old. Two have required hospital care.
Officials are particularly concerned about two cases which were not contracted from the Emirates flight, which suggests that the disease is spreading from person to person in Auckland.
According to Simon Baker, a medical officer of health, “The only connection is that they live in the same part of Auckland as some people from the flight.”
People become infectious before disease symptoms are manifested, making it difficult to stem the spread of measles as the infected are often unaware that they have contracted the disease.
“We’ve got nurses who are speaking to all the cases and the cases’ families, finding out where they have been in the infectious period and trying to find as many people as we can who have been in the same places. [They are] ringing them and giving them health advice … That’s at least 300 people,” Dr. Baker said.
Infected people have been isolated at home until they are no longer infectious – roughly five days after the start of the rash.
Dr. Baker hopes to contain the outbreak, but is worried that it may spread.
He said, “The concern is that we may not be able to contain it. We are hoping that we can.”
