Another two cases of measles recorded in Moldova

Chisinau, 18 May /MOLDPRES/ – Authorities have announced that lab tests confirmed presence of measles at two patients, two children aged six months and six years respectively. In both cases the infection took place from relatives which took virus outside Moldova.

According to the National Agency for Public Healthcare's data, the six-month-old baby infected her mother, a Roma woman of 21 which contacted virus while she was in Ukraine. On 11 May, child was examined at Hospital for Infectious Diseases (SPI) in Chisinau and hospitalised with fever for medical surveillance and treatment.

Another case of measles infection was recorded in Drochia. A six-year-old unvaccinated child from a Roma family in Ochiul Alb village was brought to doctor after contacting virus from his uncle recently returned from Ukraine.

Interviewed by agency, Deputy Director of National Public Healthcare Agency, Nicolae Furtuna, said that situation in Moldova and in neighbouring countries on it is monitored by epidemiologists daily.

According to cited source, there were 12,991 measles patients in Romania in 2017 – 2018, 52 of whom died. In Ukraine, there were registered 12,824 measles patients in 2018. The increased morbidity through measles is attested in France, Georgia, Greece, Italy and Serbia.

He specified that only form of protection against this infection is vaccination and came with an appeal to all parents who oppose vaccination, as to change their decision and immunise the small ones.

"These immunodiagnosis infections can only be prevented by vaccination, and Moldova has sufficient stocks of vaccines, with immunisation 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, as 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.

Measles has a severity because of complications it can develop: measles virus can cause complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia, encephalitis. The maximum incidence of disease is attained within winter months.

(Reporter A. Zara, editor L. Alcaza)