Measles outbreak in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France, January-July 2003

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Virology

Background:

• Measles outbreaks pose a significant public health challenge, particularly in regions with suboptimal vaccination coverage.
• Effective surveillance systems are crucial for timely detection and control of infectious disease outbreaks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the epidemiology of a measles outbreak in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region of France.
• To assess the effectiveness of the existing measles surveillance system in detecting the outbreak.
• To inform the development of a national plan for measles elimination in France.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective epidemiological investigation involving multiple health services.
• Case identification through clinical, serological, and epidemiological linkage.
• Analysis of case distribution and temporal trends.

Main Results:

• A total of 259 measles cases were identified in the PACA region between January and June 2003, with a peak in April.
• The outbreak was attributed to poor vaccination coverage, leading to a susceptible population.
• The national sentinel surveillance network failed to detect any cases during the outbreak period, indicating surveillance limitations.

Conclusions:

• The measles outbreak in the PACA region underscores the vulnerability of populations with low vaccination rates.
• Current measles surveillance systems in France require enhancement to align with international best practices for disease elimination.
• A national strategy is needed to interrupt indigenous measles transmission and achieve elimination by 2010, as recommended by the WHO.