The situation with the measles outbreak in Latvia is serious, said Baiba Rozentāle, head of the Latvian Infectology Centre, in an interview on Latvian Television’s programme “Rīta panorāma.”
She predicts that the situation is likely to develop “not so well,” as data from the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) show that around 14,000 children under the age of 17 have not received a single measles vaccine dose.
The specialist emphasized that measles is a highly contagious and serious disease, spreading through respiratory droplets that can remain airborne for up to two hours. Infected individuals remain contagious for a prolonged period, Rozentāle explained.
She assessed the situation as serious but also expected, noting that measles outbreaks have been occurring across Europe over the past decade due to various factors, largely insufficient vaccination coverage.
As previously reported, Latvia has registered its first measles outbreak since 2018.
As of the 17th of March, five cases have been recorded, including three laboratory-confirmed cases — two among schoolchildren and one adult — as well as two suspected cases in schoolchildren, with test results still pending. All cases are epidemiologically linked.
As SPKC representative Ilze Ūdre previously told LETA, the number of identified contacts is very high — at least 800 individuals. These include contacts identified in educational institutions, as well as outside them, such as in patients’ families, public events, international transport, and elsewhere.
Ūdre also acknowledged that the risk of further spread, particularly among unvaccinated individuals, is considered high. Moreover, it is not possible to identify all contacts, especially incidental ones in public places.
The SPKC has identified that one of the infectious individuals travelled on an “Ecolines” bus on the Riga–Gulbene–Riga route. On the 13th of March, the person travelled from Riga to Gulbene on a bus departing at 8:00 from Riga Bus Station, and on the 15th of March returned to Riga on a bus departing from Gulbene Bus Station at 13:50.
The SPKC urges all passengers who travelled on these routes to contact epidemiologists via the 24-hour hotline +371 67 271 738 or by email at [email protected] to assess potential exposure and receive further guidance.
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