Number of measles cases 50 times higher last year than in 2023, data shows
The number of measles cases notified in the State last year was more than 50 times higher than in 2023, official figures show.
The
Health Protection Surveillance Centre
(HPSC) this week published data on infectious disease notifications in Ireland from 2020 to last year.
There were 207 cases of measles last year, up from four in 2023 and five in 2020, the report shows.
Measles is a highly contagious disease, with a single infection capable of being spread to 12 to 18 unvaccinated people. Symptoms of measles vary and include a runny nose, sneezing and a cough, as well as sore red eyes, a temperature of 38 degrees or above and a rash, initially in the head and neck area.
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The highest number of measles cases notified last year were among children aged four and under (54 cases), followed by children aged five to nine (37) and 10- to 14-year-olds (35).
Boys and men accounted for 55 per cent of cases. There was also one death from measles in Ireland last year.
European and other countries around the world experienced a surge in measles cases last year. As a result, the HSE offered a catch-up programme for the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine.
The campaign focused on delivering the vaccine to more than 300,000 people in key at-risk groups who may not have had it in the past, including children, young adults and healthcare workers.
According to the most recent immunisation figures, from the second quarter of last year, a total of 89.9 per cent of children aged two had received the first dose of the MMR vaccine. This is lower than the 95 per cent threshold needed to ensure herd immunity against the disease. The two-dose vaccine is normally given at 12 months and at age four to five.
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Record number of whooping cough cases reported last year
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The HPSC data also highlight a stabilisation in the number of sexually transmitted infections being notified.
There was a significant uptick in STIs reported in 2023, with the overall rate increasing by 36 per cent that year. Some common STIs decreased in prevalence last year, however, including chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
The number of cases of genital herpes increased from 1,686 in 2023 to 1,837 last year, while the number of cases of syphilis was also up, from 910 to 1,019.
The prevalence of other infectious diseases also increased last year. Cases of Dengue fever, a severe, flu-like viral illness transmitted by mosquitos, rose from three to 49. The increase is likely connected to the number of people travelling rising after the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic years.
The prevalence of influenza, or the flu, also increased, from 11,751 cases in 2023 to 21,298 last year.
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