Bulgaria’s measles outbreak: First cases in Plovdiv and Bourgas reported
The first two cases of measles in Bulgaria’s cities of Plovdiv and Bourgas amid the recent outbreak of the disease were reported by the Health Ministry on March 5.
The ministry said that there were currently 66 cases of measles, of which in 41 cases the diagnosis had been confirmed by laboratory tests.
Apart from Plovdiv and Bourgas, three other districts in Bulgaria are affected, with 48 cases in the district of Blagoevgrad, eight in the city of Sofia and eight in the district of Sofia.
The largest number of cases, 29, was in the age group of one to four.
Thirty-seven of cases involved people who had not been immunised, of whom 35 were children. Of the latter, 16 had not reached the age for immunisation.
In 12 cases, there was no proof that they had been immunised.
The Health Ministry issued a reminder that on February 14, all regional health inspectorates in Bulgaria had conveyed an order that everyone between the age of 13 months and 18 years for which there was no proof of immunisation should be identified.
The March 5 report on the outbreak in Plovdiv came the day after it emerged that more than 1000 children in the district had not been given the measles, mumps and rubella immunisation.
(Photo: flickr.com/pahowho)
