title: Measles in Italy, laboratory surveillance activity during 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The European Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO/Europe) developed a strategic approach to stop the indigenous transmission of measles in its 53 Member States by 2015. This study describes the measles laboratory surveillance activity performed by the National Reference Laboratory for Measles and Rubella at the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità) during 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urine, oral fluid and capillary blood samples from 211 suspected measles cases arrived to the NRL from different regions of Italy for confirmation of the clinical diagnosis. Serological and/or molecular assays were performed; after molecular detection, positive samples were sequenced and genotyped.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  85% (180/211) of the specimens were confirmed as measles cases and 139 of these were analyzed phylogenetically. The phylogenetic analysis revealed a co-circulation of D4 and D8 genotypes for the reviewed period.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fortuna
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baggieri
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Manso
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Declich
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iannazzo
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pompa
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Magurano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008457:Measles / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008459:Measles virus / Q000737:chemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D055815:Young Adult