Bogor City (ANTARA) – The Bogor City Health Office, West Java, said that the border area and the low achievement of measles-rubella immunization could trigger measles transmission in the area. Head of the Bogor City Health Service Sri Nowo Retno in Bogor City, Saturday, said the spread of measles-rubella in 2022 would be found in four of the 68 urban villages in his area.
There is more than one measles patient but not consecutively and the immunization rate in these areas has reached above 80 percent. “There is not only one factor supporting the spread of measles, low immunization coverage, transmission in inter-village border areas, and low immunization achievements in the previous year could be the causes,” said Retno.
Retno conveyed that referring to the data on cases of the spread of the infectious disease in Bogor City, there were four sub-districts with more than one positive case of measles, namely the Gunung Batu Sub-District where there were four cases, the Loji Sub-District had three cases, the Pasir Jaya Sub-District had three cases and the Mulyaharja Sub-District had three cases. However, the target for 9-11 month measles immunization coverage in 2022 is 95 percent and Bogor City has exceeded the target of 96.5 percent.
However, if immunization achievements are traced by sub-district and associated with data on the largest positive cases of measles from the four sub-districts, then the measles immunization coverage rates are Gunung Batu Sub-district 88.6 percent, Loji Sub-district 101.6 percent, Pasir Jaya Sub-District 95.6 percent and Mulyaharja Village 91.1 percent.
From the data above, said Retno, low immunization coverage was a supporting factor for positive cases in an area. In addition, transmission factors from border areas to affected sub-districts or districts or cities and low immunization coverage in previous years were supporting factors even though immunization results had reached the target. Further epidemiological investigation is needed to determine the causative factors.
Measles, also known as morbili or measles, is a highly contagious (infectious) disease caused by a morbilivirus. Typical signs that can be recognized as measles are body heat usually >38°C and red spots (rash) that start behind the ears for 3 days or more, a few days later (4-7 days) spread throughout the body. In some cases accompanied by one or more symptoms of cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes.
The measles virus is transmitted through droplets that come out of the nose, mouth or throat of people infected with the measles virus when they talk, cough, sneeze or through nasal secretions. The incubation period for measles is 7-18 days, an average of 10 days.
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Warning signs of measles that need to be watched out for are dehydration, rapid breathing, chest wall concavity, unable to eat and drink, difficulty waking up, less urination (BAK), discharge from the ear, and yellow green pus/liquid in the eye.
Most people with measles will recover without treatment. Complications often occur in children under 5 years of age and adults over 20 years. Cases of measles in cases of malnutrition and deficiency of vitamin A and immune deficiency (HIV) can cause more severe complications of measles.
“As the surveillance system in Bogor City improves, the situation from 2023 to January 25 2023, Bogor City has sent 87 samples of suspected measles cases to the Bio Farma Bandung Laboratory with information that they are still awaiting results,” he said.
