MPH faculty report on recent measles outbreak in Memphis area
On April 15, 2016, local public health officials in Shelby County, Tennessee, were notified of a positive measles immunoglobulin M (IgM) test for a male aged 18 months (patient A). On April 18, 2016, a second positive measles IgM test was reported for a man aged 50 years (patient B). Both patients had rash onset on April 9, 2016. The Shelby County Health Department initiated an investigation, and confirmatory testing for measles virus on oropharyngeal swabs by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at CDC was positive for both patients. As has been documented during previous measles outbreaks, rapid and effective public health response required extensive resources (2). Methods to identify potential contacts included reviewing available public setting patron lists, health care facility patient lists, and appointment records; employee interviews, and reviewing hospital security videos.
This outbreak, with three epidemiologically distinct chains of transmission and no identified common source, highlights the importance of high 2-dose MMR vaccination coverage among vaccine-eligible persons and the need for ongoing, vigilant surveillance for measles virus in the United States