Wales: Measles alert

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Source: http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Health&F=1&id=15303

Measles hits Wales

7/10/2008

Fifteen cases of measles have been reported in the Carmarthenshire and Cardiff areas and are believed to be linked.

Thirteen of the cases are in students and staff at Newcastle Emlyn Comprehensive School, Carmarthenshire, where pupils are being offered the MMR vaccination if they have not already received it.

Letters have been sent to other people believed to have come into contact with those diagnosed with measles.

Parents are being urged to be aware of the symptoms of Measles and to arrange for their children to receive the full two-dose course of the MMR vaccination if they have not yet been immunised.

Dr Roland Salmon, Director of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre within the National Public Health Service, said: ?Any upsurge in measles cases is of concern to us as this is a potentially serious disease that can be fatal or can have permanent consequences such as brain damage.

?Children normally receive the first dose of the vaccine at the age of one, and the second before they start primary school.

?Parents who think their children may have missed one or both doses of the vaccine should speak to their GP or health visitor immediately as without vaccination, children are at risk.?

Measles is highly contagious and is generally spread from person to person by coughs and sneezes.

Early symptoms include a high temperature, cough and conjunctivitis (painful, red eyes), and a red, blotchy rash that appears approximately three days later, usually beginning on the face and spreading down over the rest of the body.

Any child who develops symptoms of measles should not attend school for five days after the start of the rash.

 

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Re: Wales: Measles alert

Source: http://www.eveningleader.co.uk/news/Measles-outbreak-hits-Wrexham-and.4570902.jp

Measles outbreak hits Wrexham and Flintshire

Published Date: 08 October 2008

AN OUTBREAK of cases of measles has hit Wrexham and Flintshire.
The National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS) is urging parents to make sure their children receive the MMR vaccination as it monitors an increase in cases of measles in the two counties.

Thirteen cases of the highly contagious disease have been diagnosed in children and young people aged six months to 20 years since the end of September. Two out of the 13 cases were hospitalised but have now recovered.

Dr Chris Whiteside, consultant in Communicable Disease Control, said: "Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease and children who have not been immunised are at risk.

"Most people who catch measles make a full recovery but there is a rare possibility of severe complications including serious eye disorders, deafness, mental difficulties and even death.

"Parents can easily protect their children by having them immunised with the MMR vaccine. After completing a two-dose course of MMR, 99 per cent of children will be protected against measles."

Further tests are being conducted and the NPHS is continuing to monitor the situation. The NPHS can find no evidence that the outbreak of Measles in North East Wales is linked to the recent outbreak in South Wales, a spokesman said.

 

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Re: Wales: Measles alert

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7674190.stm

Eight new suspected measles cases

Eight new measles cases have been diagnosed amid warnings that the disease is on the increase due to a reduction in the take-up of a vaccine.

The cases in Wrexham and Flintshire take the total number of diagnosed cases in the region to 21.

It follows an outbreak of 13 cases in Carmarthenshire and two in Cardiff.

Dr Chris Whiteside from the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHSW) said diagnosis of measles was higher than last year.

She said 79% of five-year-olds in Wales had been given the two recommended MMR jabs - against a UK government target of 95%.

'Highly contagious'

She blamed a "legacy of doubt" following a report that MMR could be linked to autism, which has now been disproved.

Dr Whiteside, consultant in communicable disease control, said: "Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease and children who have not been immunised are at risk.

"Most people who catch measles make a full recovery but there is a rare possibility of severe complications including serious eye disorders, deafness, mental difficulties and even death."

She added: "We would urge people to use the MMR vaccine.

"There's a significant increase of measles in Wales. For instance we haven't had a case in north Wales since 2006, but already we have had 21 suspected cases this year."

Earlier this month, it was also revealed 13 students and staff at Newcastle Emlyn Comprehensive School in Carmarthenshire were diagnosed with the illness.

Two family members of one of the pupils who live in Cardiff, were also thought to have measles.

Letters

With 36 suspected or diagnosed cases this year, Dr Whiteside said it was likely the number of confirmed cases for Wales would rise above the total for 2007 of 14.

The outbreak in north Wales has not been linked with that in the south.

Letters have been sent to GPs in north Wales to alert them to a possible increase in demand for MMR.

The NPHSW said some of the cases diagnosed by GPs could go on to be proved negative.

Of the 21 clinical cases reported in north Wales, eight samples are awaiting results and nine have been confirmed as measles.

Two cases proved negative and two are being re-tested.

 

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Re: Wales: Measles alert

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/h...ses-linked-to-school-outbreak-91466-22110242/


Experts probe more measles cases linked to school outbreak

Oct 24 2008 By Madeleine Brindley, WalesOnline

PUBLIC health experts are investigating a further four cases of measles linked to a West Wales school.

It is understood all four ? one child and three adults ? have links to Newcastle Emlyn Comprehensive School, where 13 adults and teenagers became ill with the potentially lethal virus earlier this month.

The National Public Health Service today said all four have been in direct contact with those affected at the school.

One possible case is in a child who attends a primary school, which feeds into the comprehensive school. The three other cases are in adults who have cared for people with measles.

There have been no further cases reported at the comprehensive school itself.

Dr Mac Walapu, a consultant in communicable disease control for the NPHS, said: ?We have written to all parents whose children attend feeder primary schools and have not yet had the MMR vaccine, to remind them to have their children immunised to avoid outbreaks in the schools.

?We have also been dealing with enquiries asking whether it is safe to attend public gatherings in Newcastle Emlyn.

?We are not at present advising people to stop routine activities but have asked people diagnosed with measles to avoid public gatherings until they are no longer infectious.

?The ideal is to ensure that all people attending public gatherings such as football matches are fully vaccinated or are known to have had measles in the past.?

A total of 15 cases of measles were diagnosed in staff and pupils at Newcastle Emlyn Comprehensive School earlier this month, including two people living in Cardiff.

A total of 53 people at the school have received MMR vaccinations.

The NPHS today told parents that the only protection against measles is the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination.

Experts are advising parents that any children who have not yet received the full two-dose course of the vaccination is should be immunised.

Measles is a potentially serious disease that can be fatal or can have permanent consequences such as brain damage. It is highly contagious and is generally spread from person to person by coughs and sneezes.

Early symptoms include a high temperature, cough, conjunctivitis and a red, blotchy rash that appears approximately three days later, usually beginning on the face and spreading down over the rest of the body.

Any child who develops symptoms of measles should not attend school for five days after the start of the rash.