Belgium: 2025 Measles

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Source: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2025/03...d-in-brussels/


‘Moroccan measles variant’ found in Brussels
A variant of the measles virus prevalent in Morocco has been found in sewage water in Brussels, research conducted by KU Leuven reveals. Elke Wollants, lab manager at Leuven University's Rega Institute has identified the variant of the virus found as genotype B3, the so called ‘Moroccan variant’.
Colin Clapson
14:23

Wollants speaks of a particularly high concentration of the measles virus, peaking on 11 March. Enquiries by the researcher at Brussels health institute Vivalis reveal that only 18 cases have been reported so far this year. ‘That’s probably an underestimate,’ she says, though she also points out that this type of measles has a large viral load, which may influence the results.

Measles outbreak in Morocco

Morocco is currently facing an ‘historically large’ measles outbreak. Since the end of 2023, more than 25,000 cases have been recorded in the North African country, resulting in about 120 deaths. The genotype B3, also found in Brussels ‘is on the rise all over Europe. This is alarming. The Netherlands already counted 45 cases in two weeks, and Spain and France are also in trouble,’ Wollants warns. According to a recent report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Belgium, with 551 cases, ranks 4th in Europe for the highest number of infections between 1 February 2024 and 31 January 2025...

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Antwerp Province
/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antwerp_Province
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Translation Google

Antwerp hospitals warn of unprecedented measles outbreak: "Vaccination rates are steadily declining"

The Antwerp hospital group ZAS is facing a worrying increase in the number of children contracting measles. This disease can be fatal. "This is due to an ever-decreasing vaccination rate among children in the city of Antwerp," explains pediatric infectious disease specialist Daan Van Brusselen.

Anne François, Belgian
13:27

In recent weeks, the Antwerp hospital group Ziekenhuis aan de Stroom (ZAS) has diagnosed 15 children with measles. Two of them were admitted to intensive care. According to ZAS, measles cases are on the rise. In the past three months, the number of children who developed measles was higher than in the whole of 2024.

"Last night, four children were brought to the hospital with measles. We've never experienced anything like this," pediatric infectious disease specialist Daan Van Brusselen, who works at ZAS and the University of Antwerp, told Radio 2.

Of the 47 confirmed cases of measles in Flanders, 40% of the patients come from the province of Antwerp. "We believe this is due to the very low vaccination rate. We know this because the patients we have at the Antwerp center are young children who are insufficiently protected. In the rest of Flanders, all age groups are affected." Doctors therefore remind people of the importance of vaccinating children.

Group protection

You can catch measles if you've never had it or if you haven't been adequately vaccinated against it. People who have been vaccinated twice are not at risk. In Flanders, all children were offered the vaccine at the age of one, with a booster between the ages of 7 and 9.

People aged 30 to 45 are advised to check their measles vaccination status. This age group often received only one vaccination during childhood. Group protection is crucial.

“We're seeing an ever-increasing number of children not receiving a vaccine, or not receiving a booster,” says Daan Van Brusselen. “This is dangerous. This allows measles to spread through daycare centers and affect very young children, who cannot yet receive a vaccine.”


Highly contagious and deadly

"Measles is extremely contagious," warns Van Brusselen. "Each patient with measles will infect between 12 and 18 people who are not (adequately) vaccinated. For comparison: with Covid, each patient infects between 1 and 1.5 people. Measles is the most contagious disease we know."

"The first symptoms are a high fever, a cough, and red, irritated eyes. Between 3 and 7 days after the onset of symptoms, a rash appears behind the ears, which then spreads over the body. Complications can develop, such as a lung infection, diarrhea, or even encephalitis."

In the worst case, the patient can die, even in Belgium, warn Antwerp hospitals. "Recently, two children, aged 6 and 8, died in the USA because they had not been vaccinated. In unfortunate cases, neurological problems can develop after encephalitis."

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/fr/2025/04/10/les-hopitaux-anversois-mettent-en-garde-contre-une-epidemie-de-r/

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Translation Google

"It's an exceptional situation": measles is back in Brussels

Editor
April 11, 2025 2:51 PM

An increasing number of cases of measles have been recorded in Belgium since the beginning of the year. The disease is extremely contagious and can be fatal.


Measles is making a comeback in Belgium. In Brussels, more than twenty cases have been recorded. Flanders is particularly affected, with 47 confirmed cases since the beginning of the year, and two children have been admitted to intensive care. Daan Van Brusselen, a pediatrician at an Antwerp hospital, takes stock of the situation and concludes: “ This is an exceptional situation; we haven't seen anything like this for years .”

A gap in vaccination coverage

This resurgence of the virus in Belgium is worrying and reveals a gap in the population's vaccination coverage, which can be explained by oversights during the lockdown, but also the development of mistrust of vaccines.

Belgium had a full vaccination coverage of 86.4% of its population in 2021, reports Sciensano. The country then ranked 7th in the ranking of European Union countries with the highest vaccination coverage.

300 cases recorded in 2024 in Brussels

Regarding measles, the World Health Organization reports rising figures, with more than 127,000 cases recorded in Europe in 2024, double the number in 2023. “ Last year, we had the worst epidemic in 10-15 years in Brussels, with 300 cases recorded. Fortunately, we had no deaths. I remind you that the mortality rate is 1 in 1,000 ,” explains Dr. David Hercot, medical coordinator of the preventive medicine and health risk management unit, to the magazine Le Spécialiste .

The Federal Agency for Occupational Risks (Fedris) has reiterated that protection against measles is essential for workers in the hospital sector.

A particularly viral disease

Measles manifests itself through a rash, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, as well as a cough and a high fever. The disease heals on its own, but complications can occur. It can also leave significant after-effects. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases and there is no cure. The medical world is keen to reiterate the effectiveness of this vaccine against this disease, which can be fatal.

https://www.bruxellestoday.be/sante/resurgence-rougeole-bruxelles-situation-exceptionnelle.html

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Measles makes a strong comeback in Belgium

Belgian authorities have noted a worrying resurgence of measles, with 83 cases reported since January 1. This situation follows a record-breaking year in 2024 and once again raises the question of vaccination.

Correspondent in Brussels
08:30

Testimonies from infectious disease specialists working in pediatric units describe an unprecedented situation in some emergency departments, where measles cases have recently surged. Last week, 83 cases had been reported since the beginning of 2025.

This situation raises fears of a resurgence similar to or greater than that of the previous year, when 526 cases were recorded, the highest annual number in more than ten years. It is part of the broader context of the global resurgence of measles.

In Flanders, where more than fifty cases have been reported, several unvaccinated children have had to be admitted to intensive care. Wallonia and Brussels are not spared. "For Brussels, due to technical problems, data is being reported with considerable delay, so these figures may still be slightly different," states the Sciensano Public Health Institute.

Even more worrying, 40% of patients had to be hospitalized, a rate significantly higher than the usual average of 20 to 30%.

An underestimated disease that remains dangerous

Contrary to popular belief, measles is not just another benign childhood illness. "The consequences of a vaccine-preventable disease should never be underestimated," reminds the National Office for Children (ONE). It can lead to serious complications: severe pneumonia, acute diarrhea, and neurological complications.

Furthermore, "someone suffering from measles has to heal on their own. What we can do is give them medication to cope with the symptoms. Nose drops, eye drops, Dafalgan, paracetamol. But I don't have a specific treatment," explains Nathalie de Visscher, head of the general internal medicine department at the Grand Hôpital de Charleroi, on the private channel RTL-TVi.

The consequences of a vaccine-preventable disease should never be underestimated.

Extremely contagious, measles is transmitted by droplets released by coughing or sneezing. These droplets can remain suspended in the air for up to two hours after the person has been in the air. A sick person can infect between 12 and 18 of their contemporaries. By comparison, at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020, the average number of cases was 3.5.

The incubation period is about 10 days, which means that someone who has been infected can transmit the virus even before the characteristic symptoms (fever, cough, rash) appear.

A failure of the vaccination system

How can we explain this resurgence of a disease that the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, introduced in 1985, had virtually eradicated? The answer lies primarily in insufficient vaccination coverage, according to experts. To stop the virus from spreading, 95% of the population would need to be fully vaccinated, which is far from being the case.

While the first dose of the MMR vaccine achieves satisfactory rates among infants (over 95%), it is the failure to administer the second dose that poses a problem. A survey conducted by the PSE (Promotion of Health in Schools) in 2021-2022 revealed that only 73% of sixth-grade students in the French Community have full vaccination coverage. Flanders fares better with 90%, but this rate remains insufficient and is tending to decrease.

According to Sciensano, the majority of measles cases recorded so far are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status – the latter affecting one in four people. There is currently no centralized vaccination registry in Belgium, partly due to the regionalization of public health responsibilities.

Covid fatigue extends to other vaccinations

In its latest report, the Measles Elimination Committee further highlights "the fragmentation of expertise that makes it difficult to implement an effective policy" in the south of the country. Vaccination provision would benefit from being increased, particularly by increasing the participation of private doctors who are not yet using free vaccines, and by increasing vaccination provision through, for example, vaccination by nurses.

In addition to these structural problems, there are other reasons. Repeated COVID vaccination campaigns have led to fatigue, which has spread to other vaccines. The epidemic and the lockdown have also led to delays in vaccinating children, delays that could have consequences for the resurgence of the disease today.

Some of the infections were contracted in Morocco and Romania, countries currently experiencing major epidemics. Hence the recommendation to check whether you are protected against measles when traveling to these countries.

Emergency measures and recommendations

In response to this situation, measures are being taken. The Federal Agency for Occupational Risks (Fedris) is offering free measles vaccinations to non-immunized hospital staff, who are particularly at risk. In the past, healthcare workers have been infected in large numbers during measles outbreaks.

The elimination committee suggests launching catch-up vaccination campaigns, including among adults. Vaccination is safe, even if you have already contracted one of the diseases prevented and/or received two doses.

Efforts are also being made to create a centralized vaccination registry. This is currently being implemented on the French-speaking side by both the ONE (National Office for the Coordination of Health and Welfare) and Aviq and Vivalis, two public organizations dedicated to well-being, health, and inclusion, to enable the exchange of vaccination data between different vaccination registries.

https://www.virgule.lu/international/rougeole-belgique-nouveaux-cas/58206542.html