In Ukraine, the number of measles cases continues to rise rapidly. Since the beginning of the year, more than 30,000 people have been infected with the potentially deadly virus, said the Ministry of Health. Eleven people died in the time, most recently on Saturday, a 11-year-olds in the western Ukrainian Rivne. The measles sufferers included 17,000 children.
Since 2017, the number of measles patients in Ukraine has been rising sharply. Last year, more than 53,000 people were infected in the state, more than in any other European country. 16 victims died. The Ukrainian authorities mention two reasons for the huge increase in infections: a lack of vaccines in previous years and the rejection of measles vaccinations by a section of the population.
The Ministry of Health is trying to persuade parents to vaccinate their children with more and more insistent calls and education campaigns. Especially in the particularly affected regions around the cities of Lviv and Vinnytsia, it has been organizing large-scale vaccination campaigns in schools for several weeks.
One of the most contagious viruses ever
In Europe in 2018, especially as a result of the outbreak in the Ukraine, so many people became infected with measles as they had in ten years. The number of cases tripled in Europe within a year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in February. Compared with 2016, 2018 would have infected 15 times as many people.
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The measles virus is one of the most contagious pathogens. It spreads by droplet infection. Even if an infected person has left a room, the viruses can remain in the air for up to two hours. In addition, contact with measles in unprotected people almost always leads to the onset of the disease. Of 100 people without vaccine protection who come into contact with the virus, 95 get sick.
Germany: Measles outbreak at school in Hildesheim
Compared to Ukraine, only a few measles cases occur in Germany - although people in this country are still infected with the virus.
Currently, after a measles outbreak at a school in Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, only vaccinated students are allowed to attend classes until the end of the week. In total, 26 people have contracted measles in the district since the beginning of the year. In Munich, at the end of last week, authorities called non-vaccinated visitors to a McDonald's to report after the illness had broken out on an employee.
In Germany, according to the Robert Koch Institute, 150 measles infections were reported in the first eight weeks of the year. In the same period last year, there were only 56 cases. By contrast, in Germany, almost 1,000 people had been infected with the measles in 2017, when there were major outbreaks in Duisburg, Berlin and Cologne. 376 of the patients had to be treated in the hospital.
In fact, WHO set itself the goal of eradicating measles in Europe by 2010. After this target was missed, 2015 was set as a new date. Also this goal could not be maintained.