“In the month of April 2024, 145 cases of measles were reported in Italyan increasing number both compared to the cases recorded in March (124)” of this year, “and compared to those of April 2023 (1)”. This is what is reported in the latest bulletin of the national epidemiological surveillance system managed by ‘Higher Institute of Health. Since the beginning of 2024, cases have reached 400, at 399.
Of the 399 cases notified in our country from 1 January to 30 April this year – we read in the bulletin – 348 (87.2%) are laboratory confirmed, 16 probable and 35 possible; 30 of the reported cases (7.5%) are imported. The infections were reported by 16 Regions/Autonomous Provinces, with Lazio, Sicily, Emilia Romagna and Tuscany reporting a total of 68.7% of cases (274 out of 399). At a national level, the incidence was 20.3 cases per million inhabitants. The highest was observed in Abruzzo (59.1/million), followed by Lazio (58.9/million) and Sicily (46.9/million).
L’median age of reported cases is 31 years (range 0-69 years). Over half of the cases (50.9%) are aged between 15 and 39 years and a further 25% are over 40 years old. However, the highest incidence was observed in the 0-4 age group (83.4 cases per million). 17 cases have been reported in children less than one year of age.
The vaccination status is known for 363 cases of the 399 registered (91%), of which 323 cases (89%) were unvaccinated at the time of infection, 22 (6.1%) were vaccinated with a single dose and 14 (3, 8%) with 2 doses. For the remaining 4 cases (1.1%) the number of doses administered was not known. Of the total cases notified, 127 (31.8%) reported at least one complication. The most frequent complications were hepatitis/increased transaminases (56) and pneumonia (54). One case of encephalitis has been reported in a young, unvaccinated adult. For 50.1% of cases (200 out of 399) hospitalization is reported and for a further 64 a visit to the emergency room is reported.
“Significant increases in the number of measles cases and epidemics have been ongoing since 2023 globally, including in several European countries. Italy is also seeing a notable increase in measles cases in 2024, particularly in the months of March and April , the majority of which occurred in unvaccinated people. About 3 quarters of cases reported in the first 4 months of the year are adolescents and adults: these data suggest that there are large shares of susceptible people in these age groups.” This was underlined by the experts of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Higher Institute of Health, commenting on the latest bulletin of the surveillance system managed by the ISS.
“Also worrying are the cases reported in children under one year of age, too young to be vaccinated, who therefore depend on vaccination coverage in the population to be protected from measles – the specialists specify – and the cases among healthcare workers”.
ISS surveillance also monitors cases of rubella: from 1 January to the end of April one case of rubella was reported in Italy, classified as possible. National epidemiological surveillance on measles and rubella is coordinated by the Department of Infectious Diseases of the ISS (Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Mathematical Models Department and National Reference Laboratory for Measles and Rubella), with the contribution of the national network of regional reference laboratories (MoRoNet).
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