BACKGROUND: A large outbreak of measles is taking place in Europe and is related to a low vaccination coverage. Measles is observed in adults. METHODS: We retrospectively studied all the consecutive cases of measles seen in adults between the 1/1/2007 and the 30/4/2009 in four Parisian hospitals. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were included. Six patients (29%) were health care workers (HCW) including five (83%) who were vaccinated. Twenty (95%) patients were hospitalized. All patients presented with febrile exanthema, cough and rhinitis in association with hepatic involvement in 71%. Neither death nor sequelae were reported. CONCLUSION: Measles may occur in HCW, most of them being insufficiently covered by the vaccination. Therefore, since 2010, one injection of measles vaccine is now recommended in France, for HCW without history of measles or vaccination with two doses. Furthermore, adequate respiratory precautions should be taken when seeing patients with febrile exanthema and cough.
BACKGROUND: A large outbreak of measles is taking place in Europe and is related to a low vaccination coverage. Measles is observed in adults. METHODS: We retrospectively studied all the consecutive cases of measles seen in adults between the 1/1/2007 and the 30/4/2009 in four Parisian hospitals. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were included. Six patients (29%) were health care workers (HCW) including five (83%) who were vaccinated. Twenty (95%) patients were hospitalized. All patients presented with febrile exanthema, cough and rhinitis in association with hepatic involvement in 71%. Neither death nor sequelae were reported. CONCLUSION: Measles may occur in HCW, most of them being insufficiently covered by the vaccination. Therefore, since 2010, one injection of measles vaccine is now recommended in France, for HCW without history of measles or vaccination with two doses. Furthermore, adequate respiratory precautions should be taken when seeing patients with febrile exanthema and cough.