Measles becomes endemic in Venezuela
In the vast majority of Latin American countries there is no endemic case more than 18 years ago. As of August 20, more than 3,500 confirmed cases and 62 deaths had been recorded in Venezuela
The Pan American Health Organization called for rapidly increasing vaccination coverage to stop the spread of measles in Latin America and the Caribbean, since endemic transmission of the virus has been re-established in Venezuela.
" It is vital that we continue to vaccinate to reach more than 95% of our children everywhere, " said Carissa Etienne, Director General of PAHO. "We must also strengthen national epidemiological surveillance and establish rapid response teams to prevent new cases and stop outbreaks," he said.
Venezuela reported the first measles cases of the current outbreak in July 2017, a genotype originally reported in Asia and later in Europe. As of August 20, the country had reported 3,545 confirmed cases, including 62 deaths . Ten other countries in the region reported a total of 1,459 confirmed cases and six deaths.
A disease is considered endemic when it affects the same area or region permanently or for long periods of time.
PAHO and its partners are working with the country to increase vaccination coverage, strengthen epidemiological surveillance and interrupt transmission.
Financial resources have also been mobilized to support the purchase of vaccines and other supplies , as well as cooperative activities to stop the spread.
The elimination of the disease
In 2016, the Americas region became the first in the world to obtain measles elimination certification after years of vaccination efforts. The vast majority of countries in the region recorded their last endemic cases more than 18 years ago .
The fact that a disease has been eliminated does not mean that it does not exist anymore, but that it does not circulate in a specific area. A country is no longer considered measles-free when the same type of virus has been circulating for more than 12 continuous months in its territory.
"The return of the circulation of the endemic measles virus to a country in the region, as well as the current outbreaks, is a sign that there are gaps in vaccination coverage that must be closed urgently," says PAHO in a release.
The circulation of measles in other regions of the world has always represented a threat to sustain the elimination of the virus in the Americas, given the possibility that imported cases reintroduce the virus among unvaccinated persons. In 2017, 149,142 cases were reported worldwide, of which 0.6% (895) were from the Americas.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause serious health problems and even death.
