Merianos, A; Miller, N C; Patel, M S

Author(s)

Merianos, A

Miller, N C

Patel, M S

Publication Date

1993-09

Abstract

An outbreak of measles occurred in Darwin from February to March 1991. The first case was in a 13-year-old high school student who had returned from a holiday overseas. She was symptomatic on the second day of the new school term. She infected an infant while both waited in a doctor's surgery. Outbreak control measures were instituted 18 days later when the Communicable Diseases Centre was first alerted of cases through the laboratory notification scheme. Through active surveillance, we identified 76 cases of measles, of whom 92 per cent (70 cases) were under 20 years of age. Of these, 46 were students at the index high school in which the attack rate was 39.2 per 1,000. They transmitted the disease to six unvaccinated siblings aged 11 to 18 years, resulting in a secondary attack rate of 113 per 1,000 in this age group (relative risk of disease in siblings 2.8, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.2 to 6.2). The outbreak affected one other high school, a number of primary schools, one tertiary institution, and nine children under five years. Only four of the cases had a verified history of previous immunisation against measles. The outbreak was arrested within two weeks of instituting community-wide control measures. Inadequate immunisation coverage among school-aged children and delays in notification contributed to the severity of the outbreak. Improved measles surveillance systems, including telephone notification of clinical cases are needed so that control measures can be instituted immediately within the household and in the community.

Affiliation

Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services, Darwin..

Citation

Australian journal of public health 1993-09; 17(3): 231-6

ISSN

1035-7319

Pubmed ID

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8286496/?otool=iaurydwlib

Link

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/6911

MESH subject

Adolescent

Adult

Child

Child, Preschool

Disease Outbreaks

Drug Combinations

Humans

Infant

Measles

Measles Vaccine

Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine

Middle Aged

Mumps Vaccine

Northern Territory

Population Surveillance

Rubella Vaccine

Title

Control of a community outbreak of measles which started in a poorly immunised high school population.

Type of document

Journal Article

Entity Type

Publication

Author(s)	Merianos, A Miller, N C Patel, M S
Publication Date	1993-09
Abstract	An outbreak of measles occurred in Darwin from February to March 1991. The first case was in a 13-year-old high school student who had returned from a holiday overseas. She was symptomatic on the second day of the new school term. She infected an infant while both waited in a doctor's surgery. Outbreak control measures were instituted 18 days later when the Communicable Diseases Centre was first alerted of cases through the laboratory notification scheme. Through active surveillance, we identified 76 cases of measles, of whom 92 per cent (70 cases) were under 20 years of age. Of these, 46 were students at the index high school in which the attack rate was 39.2 per 1,000. They transmitted the disease to six unvaccinated siblings aged 11 to 18 years, resulting in a secondary attack rate of 113 per 1,000 in this age group (relative risk of disease in siblings 2.8, 95 per cent confidence interval 1.2 to 6.2). The outbreak affected one other high school, a number of primary schools, one tertiary institution, and nine children under five years. Only four of the cases had a verified history of previous immunisation against measles. The outbreak was arrested within two weeks of instituting community-wide control measures. Inadequate immunisation coverage among school-aged children and delays in notification contributed to the severity of the outbreak. Improved measles surveillance systems, including telephone notification of clinical cases are needed so that control measures can be instituted immediately within the household and in the community.
Affiliation	Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services, Darwin..
Citation	Australian journal of public health 1993-09; 17(3): 231-6
ISSN	1035-7319
Pubmed ID	https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8286496/?otool=iaurydwlib
Link	https://hdl.handle.net/10137/6911
MESH subject	Adolescent Adult Child Child, Preschool Disease Outbreaks Drug Combinations Humans Infant Measles Measles Vaccine Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine Middle Aged Mumps Vaccine Northern Territory Population Surveillance Rubella Vaccine
Title	Control of a community outbreak of measles which started in a poorly immunised high school population.
Type of document	Journal Article
Entity Type	Publication

Control of a community outbreak of measles which started in a poorly immunised high school population.

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