Measles cases and outbreaks in Egypt, South Africa and USA

Measles cases and outbreaks are being reported by the following countries:

• Egypt (Beni Suef) spread of measles from Marsa Matrouh Province to Beni Suef Province; 1 death
• South Africa - 7 provinces are reporting outbreaks of measles; Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Western Cape and most recently in Eastern Cape and Free State.
• USA - To illustrate how infectious measles is, CDC reports that 1 adult person with measles infected 3 other unvaccinated adults simply by passing through the same gate at a domestic airport.

Outbreaks of measles can occur frequently anywhere in the world at any time. Unvaccinated travellers often spread the disease when they return to their countries. Travellers can reduce their risk of exposure to measles virus by ensuring that their childhood vaccinations, including measles, are up-to-date prior to travelling.