Measles in Serbia: 27 Cases, 18 of Them in Bor
Batut reports data through November 8: 22 cases since early October, including a health worker from Pozarevac. What an epidemiologist from Zajecar says.
Should you worry about measles? If you have a child who is not vaccinated, there is reason to pay attention. The Institute of Public Health of Serbia “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut” announced on November 10 that 27 measles cases have been registered in Serbia since the start of the year, through November 8. Most are in Bor.
What exactly does Batut say?
22 cases have been registered since the beginning of October. The institute states in its release: “Since the beginning of October, 22 cases of measles have been registered.” Of those, 18 are part of the outbreak reported for the City of Bor on November 4.
The other four October cases:
- two in Belgrade
- one in Pozarevac
- one in the area covered by the Public Health Institute in Kosovska Mitrovica
The Pozarevac case is a health worker who had contact with a patient from Bor at the Pozarevac General Hospital. Earlier in the year, one case each was recorded in Novi Pazar (April) and Belgrade (May), along with three in the Kosovska Mitrovica institute’s area during August and September.
How did the disease spread in Bor?
Epidemiologist Svetlana Zivkovic of the “Timok” Public Health Institute in Zajecar described the sequence to RTS. The first to fall ill was an unvaccinated child under one year old, too young for the vaccine. Another child of that age followed, then older unvaccinated children, and finally parents who were either unvaccinated or had not received all doses.
Bor currently has 18 confirmed cases, and three more are suspected. Zivkovic said she expected the laboratory results the same day.
Why does vaccination matter?
Zivkovic says vaccination is the most important measure for stopping the spread of the disease, and that it also protects people who cannot receive it. Coverage is the deciding factor:
“It is considered that vaccine coverage should be above 95 percent, and the closer it is to 100 percent, the better the herd immunity,” Zivkovic told RTS.
The “Timok” institute and the Children’s Clinic of the Bor Health Center went through vaccination records and compiled lists of eligible children. Invitations are already going out. Zivkovic urges every child who has reached the prescribed age and has no temporary or permanent contraindications to respond.
Which complications does Batut list?
Young children are the most vulnerable, and pneumonia is the most common complication. Batut says complications are more frequent in children under five, adults over 20 and people with weakened immunity. Figures from the release:
- middle ear infection: 6 to 8 in 100 patients
- pneumonia: 1 to 6 in 100 patients
- encephalitis: 1 to 2 in 1,000 patients
There is also a rare, severe late complication, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, which appears years after infection. The younger the patient at the time of illness, the higher the risk.
What can parents of infants do?
The virus spreads easily through the air, so the epidemiologist has specific advice for those whose children are too young to be vaccinated:
“I advise parents to avoid crowds, gatherings and long stays in enclosed spaces with very small children, those under one year old,” Zivkovic said.
