Just under 200 in the previous year

More than 500 measles cases reported in Austria

There have already been more than 500 cases of measles throughout Austria this year. And the trend is rising. In comparison, there were only 186 cases in the entire previous year.

According to the AGES (Agency for Health and Food Safety), there have already been 502 confirmed cases since the beginning of the year, as reported on Thursday. "This is by far the highest number in 20 years," wrote Judith Aberle, Professor of Virus Immunology at the Medical University of Vienna, on Twitter.

186 cases in the previous year
In the entire previous year, 186 cases were reported in this country. Of these, 49 people had to be treated in hospital. Hospitalization data is currently available for 489 measles cases this year. 105 people had to be treated in hospital, four of them in an intensive care unit.

Further infections are to be expected, wrote AGES. Although the current case numbers are low, much more needs to be done to raise awareness and increase the number of vaccinations, according to expert Aberle.

This is by far the highest number in 20 years.

Judith Aberle, Professorin für Virusimmunologie an der Medizinischen Universität Wien

Highly contagious droplet infection
Measles is a highly contagious droplet infection. In some cases, life-threatening complications such as inflammation of the lungs and brain can occur, explained AGES. With correspondingly high vaccination rates, the virus could be eradicated.

However, this would require 95 percent of the population to be immune. The measles vaccination is a combination vaccination against measles-mumps-rubella (MMR). Two vaccinations are recommended from the age of nine months.