[Analysis of clinical epidemiology for 208 patients of measles and some lessons learned].
OBJECTIVE
To survey the epidemic patterns and clinical characteristics of a relatively large scale measles epidemic in Shenzhen, 1998.


METHODS
Morbidity among permanent and temporary residents in 4 different age groups, related to their history of measles vaccination among the infant cases of <or= 8 month olds as well as measles histories of their mothers, and on history of the vaccination in > 8 month olds among the two types of residents. Using data originated from the hospital documents of 208 measles cases in 1998.


RESULTS
Among the total 208 cases: (1) Of 107 cases of temporary residents in age > 8 mon., 79.4% were unvaccinated while 41.7% were unvaccinated among 72 cases of permanent inhabitants in age > 8 mon.; (2) The two peaks fell on 9 month to 5 year olds (32.7%), in which predominant cases were permanent inhabitant, while among the 14 - 36 year group (33.7%) temporary resident accounted for 71.4%; (3) Among 208 cases, there were 29 in 3 - 7 mon. olds, taking up 14.0% of the whole, who all did not receive the vaccinations. Seventeen of the 29 cases (58.6%) of the said children had mothers with positive histories of measles while the infants manifested atypical mild measles. The rest 12 of the 29 cases (41.4%) whose mothers had an negative histories of contracting measles, 4 infants manifested typical measles and 8 atypical mild measles.


CONCLUSIONS
(1) One of the main causes of this epidemic was the unsound history of vaccination in the population; (2) In Shenzhen, preventive measures should focus on infants and young children among permanent inhabitants while focusing on adolescents and youths on temporary residents; (3) It was suggested that in Shenzhen, infants born to mothers without measles history or infants at the age borderline for measles immunization but without vaccination should receive it; Women in reproductive ages without measles history or vaccination should be considered as vaccination receivers.
Yang
S
S
Municipal Donghu Hospital in Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518003, China.
Zhou
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D008458:Measles Vaccine