Jamaica on measles alert

Jamaica's health authorities are on high alert in the wake of news that the spread of measles is accelerating in the United States, driven mostly by an outbreak in New York City.

This was confirmed by Jamaica’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacqueline Bissasor-McKenzie.

On Monday the Wall Street Journal reported that the number of measles cases in the United States since the beginning  of  the year had increased to 465 from 387 the previous week. It was the largest weekly increase in American cases in 2019.

Dr. Bissasor-McKenzie told RJR News that local health teams are on the lookout, given the high number of travelers from the US to Jamaica.

The island has been measles-free for "a number of years," she said, and accordingly "our main concern, from a public health perspective, is to detect any cases that may be coming in and to contain it early."

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can result in serious health complications, such as pneumonia and swelling of the brain.

News came on Tuesday that New York's mayor has declared a public health emergency in light of the measles outbreak. All residents in affected areas have been told to get vaccinated or face a fine.

There have been 285 cases in the Brooklyn area since September 30. New York's health commissioner, Oxiris Barbot, said, of those infected, 246 were children.

It is the largest measles outbreak in the city since 1991.

At a news conference, Dr Barbot said, of the 285 reported cases, 21 patients have been hospitalised and five had been admitted to an intensive care unit.

No death has been reported.

Israel link

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has linked the measles outbreaks in New York, Rockland County and New Jersey to people bringing the disease back from Israel, where a large outbreak is occurring.

The CDC says measles is highly contagious, infecting up to 90 per cent of unvaccinated people who are exposed to it.

The agency says the virus can live in the air for up to two hours after an infected person coughs or sneezes, meaning people can be exposed to it without ever knowing.

People can be infected for days before showing signs of the virus, such as a fever, runny nose or a rash.

Since January, the disease has been reported in 19 US states.