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

• Published in: Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles Vol. 21; no. 32; p. 1
• Main Authors: Grammens, Tine, Maes, Virginie, Hutse, Veronik, Laisnez, Valeska, Schirvel, Carole, Trémérie, Jean Marie, Sabbe, Martine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden Centre Europeen pour la Surveillance Epidemiologique du SIDA (European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of AIDS) 11.08.2016; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Belgium - epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Contact Tracing; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Disease Outbreaks; Disease transmission; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Personnel; Hospitals; Humans; Immunoglobulin M - blood; Infant; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional - statistics & numerical data; Male; Measles; Measles - epidemiology; Measles - prevention & control; Measles - transmission; Measles Vaccine - therapeutic use; Medical personnel; Middle Aged; Nosocomial infections; Public Health; Rapid Communication; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Vaccination; Young Adult; Belgium; epidemiology; outbreak; vaccine-preventable diseases; elimination; Measles
• ISSN: 1560-7917; 1025-496X; 1560-7917
• DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2016.21.32.30313

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.