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Measles virus spread initiated at international mass gatherings in Europe, 2011

S Santibanez1, K Prosenc, D Lohr

  • 1National Reference Centre Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Regional Reference Laboratory WHO EURO, Division of Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and viruses affecting immunocompromised patients, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.

Euro Surveillance : Bulletin Europeen Sur Les Maladies Transmissibles = European Communicable Disease Bulletin
|September 12, 2014
PubMed

Insights

International mass gatherings can facilitate measles virus (MV) spread. Monitoring transmission chains and investigating remote vaccination status are crucial for identifying population immunity gaps.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Measles virus (MV) variant ‘D8-Villupuram’ (D8-V) transmission occurred following international mass gathering (MG) events.
  • The virus was introduced into Germany and Slovenia by unvaccinated attendees of these events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the transmission dynamics and characteristics of MV D8-V outbreaks in Germany and Slovenia.
  • To compare epidemiological and serological findings between the two countries.
  • To identify susceptibility gaps in populations with remote vaccination histories.

Main Methods:

  • Tracking of measles virus transmission chains originating from international mass gatherings.
  • Serological and epidemiological investigations of confirmed measles cases.
  • Analysis of age distribution and antibody responses in affected individuals.

Main Results:

  • Three parallel transmission chains of MV D8-V were identified.
  • Germany saw primary infections in young individuals (11-27 years), while Slovenia had older cases (28-47 years) with a high rate of secondary vaccine failure (64%).
  • Distinct antibody responses and age distributions were observed between German and Slovenian cases.

Conclusions:

  • International mass gatherings pose a risk for widespread measles transmission.
  • Effective monitoring of MV transmission chains is essential for public health.
  • Serological investigation of individuals with remote vaccination is vital for uncovering population immunity gaps and informing vaccination strategies.

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