[Elimination of measles plan in the Valencia community: epidemiological surveillance in 2003]

Describing the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the suspicions of measles notified in the CV during the year 2003 and evaluating the system of surveillance.

Cross-sectional, descriptive study.

Community of Valencia (CV), Spain.

Cases of suspected measles notified in 2003.

Description of the data collected in the questionnaires (including names) of the Plan to Eliminate Measles of the CV, and obtaining of quality indicators for this plan and those proposed in the national action plan.

From 43 notified suspicions, 11 (25.6%) were confirmed, 29 (67.4%) discarded, and 3 (7%) compatible. The rate of effect was 0.33 of 105. From 11 confirmed cases, 10 belonged to two outbreaks (one familiar and an other one communitary) and one was an isolated and imported case. 80% of areas of health were declared. The majority of the suspicions and all the cases were given in the first half of the year. Five cases were given in cohorts of age not submitted to the program of vaccination (minors of 15 months and major of 20 years), and 2 cases might have been avoidable in agreement with the program (6 and 12-year-old children not vaccinated). 40 samples of whey and 33 of urine were collect within the recommended periods. The majority of quality indicators were over the recommended ones (80%).

In year 2003 no case of measles has taken place from autochthonous virus in the CV.