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A measles outbreak in Sindh, Pakistan caused by a genotype B3 virus

Syed Sohail Zahoor Zaidi1,2, Abdul Hameed3,4, Naeem Ali3

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. sohailz@live.com.

Archives of Virology
|August 14, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Measles outbreaks in Pakistan disproportionately affect unvaccinated young children. Molecular analysis identified genotype B3 measles virus strains, closely related to those in neighboring countries, highlighting the need for improved immunization and surveillance.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Measles remains a significant global public health concern, causing widespread outbreaks, particularly in young children.
  • Effective measles control programs rely on molecular analysis to understand outbreak linkages and transmission dynamics.
  • Measles elimination efforts in Pakistan face ongoing challenges with irregular progress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular epidemiology of measles virus during a 2013 outbreak in Sindh, Pakistan.
  • To determine the predominant measles virus genotype and its phylogenetic relationship with strains from other regions.
  • To assess the vaccination status of measles patients and inform public health control strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Serological testing (IgM ELISA) of 4,682 sera from suspected measles cases in 23 districts of Sindh.
  • Genotyping of 60 throat swab samples from patients under 15 years using RT-PCR.
  • Phylogenetic analysis of nucleocapsid protein gene sequences.

Main Results:

  • 3,283 confirmed measles cases, with the highest infection rate in infants aged 1-12 months.
  • A significant proportion of cases (59.1%) were unvaccinated, with lower rates for those receiving one or two vaccine doses.
  • All successfully genotyped strains (44/60) belonged to measles virus genotype B3, showing high nucleotide homology (98.6-100%) with strains from Iran, Afghanistan, and India.

Conclusions:

  • The study identified measles virus genotype B3 as prevalent in Pakistan during the 2013 outbreak, with close ties to regional strains.
  • Findings underscore the critical need for enhanced disease surveillance systems and increased immunization coverage to combat measles in Pakistan.
  • This is the first report detailing the phylogenetic analysis of measles B3 genotype strains from Pakistan, providing crucial data for regional control efforts.

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