title: Measles virus spread initiated at international mass gatherings in Europe, 2011.
abstract: Three parallel transmission chains of measles virus (MV) variant ‘D8-Villupuram’ (D8-V) originated from two coinciding international mass gathering (MG) events in Rimini, Italy, in June 2011. MV D8-V was independently introduced into Germany by two unvaccinated persons, and into Slovenia by one unvaccinated person who had attended these events. Secondary spread of D8-V was restricted to two generations of transmission in Slovenia as well as in Germany where the virus was further disseminated at another MG. Serological and epidemiological investigation of the D8-V-associated German and Slovenian cases revealed different antibody responses and age distributions. Primary infected young persons between 11 and 27 years-old were affected in Germany, whereas the group of Slovenian cases comprised adults aged from 28 to 47 years and a high proportion (9/14; 64%) of patients with secondary vaccine failure (SVF). Our study demonstrates that monitoring of MV transmission chains in an international context and adequate serological investigation of cases with remote vaccination can contribute to identify susceptibility gaps.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Regional Reference Laboratory WHO EURO, Division of Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and viruses affecting immunocompromised patients, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santibanez
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prosenc
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lohr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pfaff
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jordan Markocic
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mankertz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D003441:Crowding; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D017524:Slovenia; D012916:Soccer; D014195:Travel; D055815:Young Adult