Measles Outbreak in Pediatric Oncology Patients at Hue Central Hospital

Abstract

AIM: Measles outbreak in the immunocompromised population is a big challenge to interrupt endemic transmission. This study aimed to investigate of measles in pediatric oncology patients and find the reason behind the outbreak.

METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted on 11 pediatric oncology patients with measles. We collected demographic, epidemiological, and clinical data. Most of suspected measles cases were done measles immunoglobulin M test and clinical data were followed up and analyzed by SPSS.

RESULTS: From April 20, 2018, to July 10, 2019, a total of 11 patients with malignancies were notified to develop measles in Hue. Of these 11 patients with the median age of 4.0 years (range: 1–9 years), two patients had not received any dose of measles vaccine, five patients received two doses, and four patients had received 1 dose of measles vaccine; all patients had fever with the median fever of 39°C (range: 38.5–39.5), the median fever duration was 7 days. All patients had cough and rash, three patients had pneumonia complication and two patients had elevated liver transaminase levels. All patients had hospital visits or were hospitalized before measles onset, with the median time: 10 days (range: 7–24 days); all patients were likely to expose each other. All 11 patients recovered.

CONCLUSIONS: The measles outbreak was occurred among children with cancer, especially for children without prior measles vaccine or without two prior doses. Moreover, even children received two prior dose vaccine, their immunocompromised status caused them to be infected. There was not a different area for outpatient and inpatient in the hospital, so measles transmission occurred.