2018 Madagascar measles outbreak

In early September 2018, cases of measles began to appear in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Capitol health authorities challenged by the district's poverty and Madagascar's relatively-low vaccination rate[3] were unable to contain the highly-contagious disease, and what followed became the largest measles outbreak yet in Madagascar's history.[4] With more than 115,000 people infected and more than 1,200 dying, the outbreak has become Madagascar's most serious outbreak of measles in the 21st century.

2018 Madagascar measles outbreak
DiseaseMeasles
Virus strainMeasles morbillivirus
LocationMadagascar
Index case3 family members in Antananarivo-Renivohitra District
DatesSeptember 2018–present[1]
Confirmed cases118,000+
Deaths
1,688+[2]

Outbreak

Measles cases were first detected in the urban, downtown district of Antananarivo-Renivohetra on 3 September 2018. At the time, health authorities were still heavily engaged in the remnants of last year's plague epidemic, and public resources were identified to tracking down remaining cases. On 4 October, the Institute Pasteur de Madagascar confirmed the presence of measles morbillivirus in samples from 3 patients[5] and identified the B3 strain.[6] The virus had already spread outwards to the capital's Tanà South, Tanà North, Ambohidramito districts, and by 18 November there were over 3,200 recorded cases in Madagascar.[5]

Response

Measles immunity rates are below average in Madagascar at 83%, versus the 95% recommended by the World Health Organization. Availability of the MMR vaccine is patchy in Madagascar due to the island's mountainous geography, presenting a challenge to distributors.[7]

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References
  1. "Vainquons Ensemble la Rougeole à Madagascar". Ministère de la Santé Publique. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  2. "Madagascar measles epidemic kills more than 1,200 despite desire for vaccinations". The Associated Press. 14 April 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  3. "MAF Flights Support Measles Prevention in Madagascar". Globalnewspublisher.com. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  4. Bezain, Laetitia (14 April 2019). "Measles outbreak kills more than 1200 in Madagascar". Associated Press. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  5. "Madagascar: Measles Outbreak - Oct 2018". Relief Web. March 2019. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  6. "Emergencies preparedness, response: Measles - Madagascar". World Health Organization. 17 January 2019. Archived from the original on 20 October 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  7. Mensah, K.; Heraud, J. M.; Takahashi, S.; Winter, A. K.; Metcalf, C. J. E.; Wesolowski, A. (2019-04-24). "Seasonal gaps in measles vaccination coverage in Madagascar". Vaccine. 37 (18): 2511–2519. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.02.069. ISSN 0264-410X. PMC 6466641. PMID 30940486.

See also
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