Jose-Luis Diaz-Ortega
National Institute of Public Health, Mexico
Title: Title: The role playing by the international travels in the incidence of measles cases in the postelimination era in Mexico and in other Latin American countries.
Biography
Biography: Jose-Luis Diaz-Ortega
Abstract
Background: Endemic transmisión of measles was interrupted in 1995 in Mexico and in 2002 in Latin American countries, with reintroduction of temporal endemic transmission in Brazil in 2013. In September, 2016 The Americas were declared as free region of endemic transmission of measles, by the International Committee of Experts of PAHO.
Objective: Describe the role of international travels in the incidence of measles cases in México and in some Latin American countries.
Material and methods: Description and analysis of available information in epidemiological literature and web sites about measles transmisión in the post-elimination era in Mexico and in some Latin American countries.
Results: To achieve measles elimination different strategies have been implemented in Latin American countries. Data from imported cases are presented as well as the consequences of these importations in terms of the occurrence of hot cases, primary cases and secondary cases associated to importations in the post-elimination era of measles. Many of importations and secondary cases have occurred in Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico and have related to international travels to or from different parts of the world. Some characteristics of the molecular epidemiology of the imported cases and risk of transmission to other passengers and the crew are described in this presentation.
Conclusions: International travelers under conditions of susceptibility are at risk of acquiring measles even in countries without endemic transmission. Both epidemiological surveillance of high quality and high immunization coverage could explain the absence of secondary cases in the native population of those countries.