Two more cases of measles recorded in Moldova
22:08 | 14.05.2018 Category: Social
Chisinau, 14 May /MOLDPRES/ – The authorities have announced that lab tests confirmed presence of measles in two patients in Chisinau: a Roma man and woman. In both cases infection took place outside Moldova.
According to the National Agency for Public Healthcare's (ANSP) data, first measles case was confirmed on 8 May, to a 33 – year – old man, a bus driver who was running on route Chisinau – Cluj. The patient was treated at Infectious disease clinic Toma Ciorba, and left the hospital in a satisfactory condition.
The second case was confirmed on 11 May at a 21 – year – old Roma citizen in Chisinau. The patient became ill when he was in Vinnitsa region, Ukraine, where she had been over a month. The woman was not vaccinated just like her six month old baby and is currently under supervision of doctors.
Interviewed by agency, Deputy Director of the National Public Healthcare Agency, Nicolae Furtuna, said that situation in Moldova and neighbouring states regarding infection is monitored daily by epidemiologists.
According to cited source, there were 12,991 measles patients in Romania in 2017 – 2018, 52 of which died. There have been registered 12,824 measles patients in Ukraine in 2018. An increased morbidity throughout measles is attested in France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Serbia.
He specified that the only form of protection against infection is vaccination and came with an appeal to all parents which oppose vaccination, as to change their decision and immunize small children.
"These immunodiagnosis infections can only be prevented by vaccination, and Moldova has sufficient stock of vaccines, with immunization rate of over 95 per cent. In case of a possible outbreak, most affected would be children which were not vaccinated," said epidemiologist.
According to cited source, in order to dispose of immunity, children should be vaccinated with three doses of vaccine, first at age of 12 months, then at 6 and 15 years of age.
The measles has a severity because of complications it can develop: measles virus can cause complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia and encephalitis. The maximum disease incidence is attained in winter months.
(Reporter A. Zara, editor M. Jantovan)