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. 2017 Apr 27;22(17):30524.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.17.30524.

Ongoing measles outbreak in Wallonia, Belgium, December 2016 to March 2017: characteristics and challenges

Tine Grammens  1 , Carole Schirvel  2 , Sylvie Leenen  2 , Nathalie Shodu  2 , Veronik Hutse  3 , Elise Mendes da Costa  1 , Martine Sabbe  1
Affiliations

Ongoing measles outbreak in Wallonia, Belgium, December 2016 to March 2017: characteristics and challenges

Tine Grammens et al. Euro Surveill. .

Abstract

We describe characteristics of an ongoing measles outbreak in Wallonia, Belgium, and difficulties in control measures implementation. As at 12 March 2017, 177 measles cases were notified, of which 50% were 15 years and older, 49% female. Atypical clinical presentation and severe complications, mainly among adults, in combination with late notification, low or unknown vaccination coverage of contacts, infected healthcare workers and increased workload due to contact tracing, are the main concerns for outbreak management.

Keywords: Belgium; Europe; epidemiology; healthcare-associated infections; infection control; measles; post-exposure prophylaxis; public health policy; surveillance; vaccines and immunisation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of measles cases by week of notification and by province and total number of cases by week of notification, Belgium, 20 December 2016–12 March 2017 (n=177)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Geographical distribution of measles cases by province, Wallonia, Belgium, 20 December 2016–12 March 2017 (n = 175)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Vaccination status by age group of reported measles cases in Wallonia, Belgium, 20 December 2016–12 March 2017 (n = 177)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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