After a religious festival

Measles cluster: “More cases to be feared”

There are currently 18 confirmed measles infections in Austria, four of them in Styria. Further cases are to be expected here in the next few days, as those infected took part in a major religious celebration. Experts recommend checking your own vaccination status and that of your children.

On New Year's Eve, a person suffering from measles spent around three hours in the outpatient clinic at Bruck Regional Hospital and had contact with several other visitors. This is not the only reason to fear that further infections may have occurred: "We have had two infected children and one infected adult in the hospital so far," says Reinhold Kerbl, Head of the Pediatric Clinic at Leoben LKH, which forms the Hochsteiermark network with Bruck and Mürzzuschlag.

Unfortunately, the number of measles cases is on the rise again. Corona has not been good for vaccination acceptance.

Kinderarzt Reinhold Kerbl

As the people known to have been affected so far took part in a major religious celebration in Mürztal, it can be assumed that there has been further transmission here too. "The problem is the low vaccination rate. We would need 95 percent for community protection, but in some age groups we are well below that," reports the expert.

Dwindling vaccination morale
His appeal: be sure to check your own vaccination status and that of your children. "There are quite a few boys and girls who have only had one vaccination." Reliable protection is only available after the second vaccination.

Reinhold Kerbl, Head of the Klinder Clinic at Leoben Regional Hospital.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Measles is highly contagious, with an incubation period of seven to 21 days. Even brief and fleeting contact with an infected person is enough to pass on the virus. As the highest risk of infection is three to five days before the first symptoms appear, the Styrian Regional Health Directorate is also urging more caution in light of the current situation: "Due to the current increase in measles cases, we would like to remind you to avoid any places with large numbers of people as soon as you notice fever, a cold, cough and conjunctivitis." In suspected cases, the family doctor or hospital outpatient clinic must be informed in advance.

Kerbl emphasizes that the disease should not be underestimated: "The infection can lead to complications such as lung or ear infections, and the immune system is often weakened for months. I recently saw a child who had tuberculosis after measles." According to statistics, one in 1,000 people with the disease dies, and one in 10,000 develop encephalitis five to ten years later. "I have seen some of these patients. There is no help for them, unfortunately you can only watch them die."