A Case of Imported Measles with Cluster in Northern Taiwan, August 2016

DOI: 10.6525/TEB.201804_34(8).0002

Yu-Ning Fan^1*, Hao-Hsin Wu², Yu-Ju Chou¹, Wen-Yueh Cheng³,Tzu-Chun Chen¹, Jhy-Wen Wu¹, Kun-bin Wu¹

2018 Vol.34 NO.8

Correspondence Author： Yu-Ning Fan^1*

Abstract：

In August 2016, a hospital in southern Taiwan reported a suspected case of dengue fever or Zika virus infection, who was a 9-year-old boy just coming back from Thailand. He had symptoms of conjunctivitis, coryza and cough, and did not receive MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccination before. Later the laboratory reported positive for his measles antibody IgM and nucleic acid, and he was then confirmed as an imported measles case according to the laboratory results and travel history. During the infectious period, he visited a local clinic and transmitted to an eight-month-old baby, who had not been vaccinated yet. Although the baby had received immunoglobulin within 6 days after exposure, he still developed symptoms including fever and rashes and was later confirmed as measles by laboratory results. The genotype of the measles virus of these 2 cases were both D8, therefore a measles cluster was confirmed. Infants who have not received MMR vaccine are susceptible to measles, and could further spread the disease. This cluster event shows the importance of MMR vaccination, case communication, and contact tracing for the prevention of measles.