More and more people are becoming infected with measles in Lower Saxony. Another district near Hamburg is now affected and has an urgent request to the population.
Even a single infection can have far-reaching consequences: A person in the Harburg district has been infected with measles. The disease has recently been occurring more frequently throughout Lower Saxony. The health department is now turning to citizens and asking them to check their own vaccination status.
“Measles is very contagious even in the early stages of the disease, and a single case can quickly lead to a larger outbreak,” says Jürgen Albrecht from the health department. High vaccination rates among the population are therefore particularly important.
According to the State Health Office, there have already been 42 cases of measles in Lower Saxony since the beginning of the year. Most cases occurred in July and August (26 cases). The last time such a high number of cases was in 2019. In Hamburg, 15 cases have been registered so far. Here, too, there has been a significant increase. By comparison, there were just two infections in the whole of 2023.
Many people know measles as a childhood disease. However, this is trivializing the situation, warns the Harburg district. This is because the highly contagious infectious disease can lead to serious complications – and even be fatal.
“Statistically, one in 500 patients who contract measles will develop encephalitis,” the district explains in a letter. This inflammation can cause permanent brain damage. The infection is often particularly severe in adolescents and adults.
It is therefore also recommended that adults who have not been vaccinated against measles twice should get the vaccination. A combination vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella is then used.
Measles usually starts with severe, flu-like symptoms such as cough, fever and runny nose. After a few days, red spots appear on the skin. The rash starts on the face and behind the ears, then spreads over the whole body and disappears after about three to four days.
Anyone who is not vaccinated and comes into contact with an infected person is very likely to become infected. Measles is transmitted via droplet infection. The disease breaks out after about 14 days.
