This week, the Estonian Health Board reported a confirmed case of measles in Harju County, Estonia. The infected person is an adult who has not travelled abroad recently, suggesting the measles case is local, on Wednesday, the 7th of February, reports Estonian ERR News.
According to the health authority, the person who contracted measles was vaccinated against measles as a child in the late 1960s with a single dose of the vaccine.
The health authority is investigating the case and monitoring possible close contacts, in particular at the person’s workplace, given that the person works in a kindergarten, but no infections among family members or at the workplace have been detected so far.
Healthcare workers have been warned to be vigilant for patients with rashes, as
hidden measles spread locally cannot be eliminated.
In Estonia, measles cases have been mainly linked to travel. For example, in 2023, four cases were reported where persons were infected in Thailand, Germany and the UAE.
To date, no cases of domestic spread have been detected. The last case of infection detected locally was in 2019.
Irina Filippova, chief specialist at the Health Board’s Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Department, said that fewer parents in Estonia are opting for vaccination, putting at least 30 000 children at risk. But for adults, re-vaccination is recommended, especially for those born between 1980 and 1992 who were vaccinated with the Russian measles vaccine.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and one infected person can spread the measles to many unvaccinated people. Symptoms of measles include fever over 40 degrees Celsius, a fine red rash and enlarged lymph nodes. Complications may include inflammation of the ears, lungs or severe brain tissue, which can be life-threatening.
Also read: Measles in Europe: WHO calls for urgent vaccination as cases soar
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