Epidemiological characteristics and trends of a Nationwide measles outbreak in Mongolia 2015-2016.

Monday, 25th of February 2019

BMC Public Health. 2019 Feb 15;19(1):201. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6511-0.

Epidemiological characteristics and trends of a Nationwide measles outbreak in Mongolia 2015-2016.

Orsoo O¹² Saw YM³⁴ Sereenen E¹⁵ Yadamsuren B² Byambaa A⁶ Kariya T¹⁷ Yamamoto E¹ Hamajima N¹.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Mongolia was one of the four countries that received a measles-elimination certificate from the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific in 2014. Following the outbreaks in many countries including China a large measles outbreakoccurred in Mongolia in 2015. This study reports 2015-2016 measles outbreak incidence mortality and complications according to time geographical distribution and host characteristics.

METHODS:

The epidemiological characteristics and trends of measles outbreak were analyzed using the Mongolian national surveillance data reported to the Center for Health Development Ministry of Health from January 2015 to December 2016.

RESULTS:

In total 23464 cases of measles including eight deaths were reported in 2015 and 30273 cases of measles including 132 deaths were reported in 2016 which peaked in June 2015 and March 2016 respectively. Majority of the cases were reported from Ulaanbaatar (35397 65.9%). The highest attack rates were 241 per 10000 population in Darkhan-Uul aimag and 263 per 10000 population in Ulaanbaatar. Measles-related death nosocomial infection and complications were most frequent among children aged < 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS:

Following no reports of measles since 2011 a large nationwide outbreak occurred in Mongolia despite the high vaccination coverage in the past. The highest incidence rate was reported in Ulaanbaatar city and Umnugovi aimag in 2015 and Darkhan-Uul aimag in 2016. The most affected age group were aged < 1 year and those aged 15-24 years. Mortality cases were prominent among children aged < 1 year who were not eligible for vaccination. A systematic vaccination strategy is required to prevent another measles outbreak.

KEYWORDS:

Elimination; Measles; Mongolia; Outbreak; Reported cases; Vaccination

PMID: 30770746 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6511-0