Malappuram measles outbreak: 125 cases in 3 weeks, mostly those who were unvaccinated

Measles is mostly spread by direct contact or through the air, and shows symptoms such as fever, muscle pain and a skin rash on the face and upper neck. The incubation period of the virus varies from one to two weeks.

Most measles-related deaths are caused by complications — including swelling of the brain and dehydration. The WHO says severe complications are most serious in children under five and adults over 30.

“The disease infects mainly the kids and is highly contagious. There is an outbreak in Tirur block,” said Dr Renuka.

“It’s a mild to moderate fever which occurs first with persistent cough, sore throat, runny nose, and conjunctivitis,” she added.

The rash usually appears about 14 days after a person is exposed. It spreads from the head to the neck to the lower extremities. Patients are considered contagious from four days before to four days after the rash appears.

Immunocompromised patients sometimes do not develop the rash.

Related: Kerala recommends anti-rabies vaccines for kids, vax card in schools

Only 6 of 125 patients vaccinated

Most of the measles cases have been reported in children who have not taken the measles vaccine.

“Only six out of 125 patients who were diagnosed with measles had taken the vaccine,” said Dr Renuka.

In Kerala, the measle vaccine is given twice after the birth of a child. The first dose is given after nine months of birth, and the second is given when the child is 18 months old.

There are several reasons why some parents are apprehensive about the measles vaccination.

“There multiple factors why many children in the district are not immunised. First being the assumption among the parents that there is no measles any more, so it is not necessary to get the kids immunsed. Second, the fear of child taking ill after immunisation,” a National Health Mission (NHM) officer in Malappuram, who did not want to be named, told South First.

NHM officer added that there are also reasons like parents believing in naturopathy and homoeopathy in which immunisation is not prescribed.

Also Read: Why Kerala is first to detect & report exotic viral strains

Covid-19 factor

But a big reason is also the Covid-19 pandemic.

“During the pandemic, most of our health infrastructure was focused on detecting and curbing the spread of Covid-19. Measle vaccinations took a back seat, and even parents forgot to bring their children to PHC for vaccination,” said the NHM official.

The state’s Health Department has instructed parents not to send children with fever to schools. Those who have the disease should wear a mask and those who have not taken the vaccine should get vaccinated as soon as possible, it said.

The Health Department also warned that even death may occur if the disease worsens.

“We are identifying all the children who have not been vaccinated and are arranging vaccination for these children,” said Dr Renuka.

Controlling the spread

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to depute three high-level multi-disciplinary three-member teams to Malappuram to take stock of the upsurge in cases of measles.

The teams will assist the state health authorities in instituting public health measures and operationalising the requisite control and containment measures.

The central team to Malappuram will consist of experts from the Regional Office of Health and Family Welfare, Thiruvananthapuram, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, and Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi.

The teams will undertake field visits to investigate the outbreak and assist the state health departments in terms of public health measures, management guidelines and protocols to manage the increasing cases.

The teams will also coordinate with the state to zero in on active case search and test identified cases.

Measles an imminent threat: WHO

There is an imminent threat of measles spreading in various parts of the world after the Covid-19 pandemic led to many children missing their routine vaccinations, the WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned.

Measles is a highly contagious disease and is caused by a virus of the paramyxovirus family. It is passed through direct contact and through the air. The virus infects the respiratory tract, and then spreads through the body.

Children aged between six months and three years are more vulnerable to this disease.

Millions of children are now susceptible to measles, among the world’s most contagious diseases, the public health agencies said in a joint report on Wednesday.

The disease is almost entirely preventable through vaccination, but at least 95 percent vaccine coverage is necessary to prevent outbreaks.

A record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021 due to difficulties created by the Covid-19 pandemic, the report said.