Sixteen cases of measles registered in Chisinau in last May

Chisinau, 12 June /MOLDPRES/ - Sixteen new cases of measles were confirmed in the Moldovan capital through laboratory tests in last May.  

Data by the Chisinau-based Public Health Centre shows that, out of 16 sick persons recorded, 14 belong to the Romany ethnic minority and contacted the disease from a person who travelled to Ukraine.  

According to the Centre, in most cases (87.5 per cent), the people hit were not vaccinated with any dose of vaccine against measles. The worst hit by the disease were children with ages between 0 and 17 years, representing 11 cases. Two of the sick persons are small babies up to one year of age and were not eligible to be vaccinated against measles.

Physicians epidemiologists reminded the residents that measles is an extremely contagious disease, which is spreading quickly. The disease is transmitted from one person to another via air after sneezing, cough and contact with the person hit. The first sign of the infection is the high fever, which is maintained for 1-7 days. Generalized eruptions appear 3-4 days after the beginning of fever. Pneumonia is the most frequent reason for death in measles.    

Measles can be prevented only through vaccination. In Moldova, vaccination is made with combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (ROR), at the ages of one year, 6-7 years and 14-15 years. The vaccination free of charge for all  eligible people.    

(Reporter A. Zara, editor A. Raileanu)