Outbreak Notice
Update: 2007 Measles and Mumps Outbreaks
This information is current as of today, July 04, 2009 at 16:03 EDT
Updated: January 30, 2008
This notice has been removed.
For all current travel notices and announcements, please see the Travel Notices page.
Measles and mumps remain common diseases in many parts of the world. For US travelers, the risk for exposure to measles and mumps can be high, and both diseases can be prevented by the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
Worldwide, more than 20 million people get sick with measles each year; of these cases, 345,000 are fatal. Measles cases occur in all regions of the world: Southeast Asia (14 million cases), Africa (3.5 million cases), Eastern Mediterranean (2 million cases), Western Pacific (1 million cases), Europe (170,000 cases) and the Americas (<1,000 cases). Mumps is endemic in all regions of the world, including in many developed countries.
Currently, numerous measles outbreaks are ongoing worldwide, including an outbreak in Japan in the Western Pacific Region, that has resulted in imported cases into the U.S. However, in 2007, the majority of US import-associated cases have been linked to India.
Recent cases of mumps have been reported in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Ontario, Canada . The large outbreak of mumps that occurred in the United Kingdom in 2005-6 has waned, although mumps remains endemic there.
Recommendations for travelers
All travelers should be fully immunized and keep a copy of their immunization records with them as they travel.
- Children
- 12 months or older should receive 2 doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days, with the first dose administered on or after the first birthday.
- 6–11 months of age, if they must travel outside the US, should receive single-antigen measles vaccine before departure if it is available, or MMR if single-antigen measles vaccine is not available. (Note: MMR given before 12 months of age should not be counted as part of the series. Children who receive MMR before age 12 months will need 2 more doses of MMR, the first of which should be administered at 12 months of age.)
- Adolescents and Adults
- who have received 2 doses of live measles- or mumps-containing vaccine are generally considered immune to measles and mumps.
- are also considered immune to measles and mumps if they have had the diagnosis documented by a physician, laboratory evidence of immunity, or were born before 1957.
- who cannot be considered immune based on the above criteria should receive 2 doses of MMR vaccine, separated by at least 28 days.
Information about Measles
Measles is a serious disease. Some people who become sick with measles also get an ear infection (7%-9%), diarrhea (8%), or a serious lung infection, such as pneumonia (1%-6%). One of 1,500 people with measles develops inflammation of the brain. In the United States in recent years, approximately 1-3 of every 1,000 people with measles have died . Measles can cause especially severe disease in people who are malnourished or immunosuppressed (i.e., HIV infection, leukemia, lymphoma, or generalized malignancy) or in persons receiving certain drugs or radiation therapies.
Information about Mumps
Mumps is an infection of the salivary glands caused by a virus. It spreads through direct contact with respiratory droplets or saliva from an infected person. Early symptoms include fever, headache, and muscle aches; fewer than half of infected people may have the characteristic swelling of the glands close to the jaw. Mumps infection can lead to meningitis, inflammation of the testicles or ovaries, inflammation of the pancreas, and deafness, which may be permanent.
Information about the Vaccine
The MMR vaccine also provides protection against rubella (German measles). Rubella is caused by a virus that is spread through droplet transmission. It can cause a rash, mild fever, and arthritis (mostly in women). If a woman gets rubella while she is pregnant, she could have a miscarriage or her baby could be born with serious birth defects, such as deafness, cataracts, or mental retardation.
Since the introduction of vaccines containing measles, rubella, or mumps vaccine viruses—and later the combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine—in the United States, the numbers of reported cases of measles, mumps, and rubella, and of birth defects caused by rubella infection (congenital rubella syndrome) have decreased substantially. However, routine surveillance and vaccination remain necessary because of the continuing possibility that these diseases may be introduced from other countries.
For more information, see the following links:
