BACKGROUND: On 12 February 2008, an infected Swiss traveler visited hospital A in Tucson, Arizona, and initiated a predominantly health care-associated measles outbreak involving 14 cases. We investigated risk factors that might have contributed to health care-associated transmission and assessed outbreak-associated hospital costs. METHODS: Epidemiologic data were obtained by case interviews and review of medical records. Health care personnel (HCP) immunization records were reviewed to identify non-measles-immune HCP. Outbreak-associated costs were estimated from 2 hospitals. RESULTS: Of 14 patients with confirmed cases, 7 (50%) were aged ≥ 18 years, 4 (29%) were hospitalized, 7 (50%) acquired measles in health care settings, and all (100%) were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. Of the 11 patients (79%) who had accessed health care services while infectious, 1 (9%) was masked and isolated promptly after rash onset. HCP measles immunity data from 2 hospitals confirmed that 1776 (25%) of 7195 HCP lacked evidence of measles immunity. Among these HCPs, 139 (9%) of 1583 tested seronegative for measles immunoglobulin G, including 1 person who acquired measles. The 2 hospitals spent US$799,136 responding to and containing 7 cases in these facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Suspecting measles as a diagnosis, instituting immediate airborne isolation, and ensuring rapidly retrievable measles immunity records for HCPs are paramount in preventing health care-associated spread and in minimizing hospital outbreak-response costs.
BACKGROUND: On 12 February 2008, an infected Swiss traveler visited hospital A in Tucson, Arizona, and initiated a predominantly health care-associated measles outbreak involving 14 cases. We investigated risk factors that might have contributed to health care-associated transmission and assessed outbreak-associated hospital costs. METHODS: Epidemiologic data were obtained by case interviews and review of medical records. Health care personnel (HCP) immunization records were reviewed to identify non-measles-immune HCP. Outbreak-associated costs were estimated from 2 hospitals. RESULTS: Of 14 patients with confirmed cases, 7 (50%) were aged ≥ 18 years, 4 (29%) were hospitalized, 7 (50%) acquired measles in health care settings, and all (100%) were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. Of the 11 patients (79%) who had accessed health care services while infectious, 1 (9%) was masked and isolated promptly after rash onset. HCP measles immunity data from 2 hospitals confirmed that 1776 (25%) of 7195 HCP lacked evidence of measles immunity. Among these HCPs, 139 (9%) of 1583 tested seronegative for measles immunoglobulin G, including 1 person who acquired measles. The 2 hospitals spent US$799,136 responding to and containing 7 cases in these facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Suspecting measles as a diagnosis, instituting immediate airborne isolation, and ensuring rapidly retrievable measles immunity records for HCPs are paramount in preventing health care-associated spread and in minimizing hospital outbreak-response costs.
Authors: Kimberly M Thompson; Gregory S Wallace; Radboud J Duintjer Tebbens; Philip J Smith; Albert E Barskey; Mark A Pallansch; Kathleen M Gallagher; James P Alexander; Gregory L Armstrong; Stephen L Cochi; Steven G F Wassilak Journal: Public Health Rep Date: 2012 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 2.792
Authors: Nadine Ader; Melinda A Brindley; Mislay Avila; Francesco C Origgi; Johannes P M Langedijk; Claes Örvell; Marc Vandevelde; Andreas Zurbriggen; Richard K Plemper; Philippe Plattet Journal: J Biol Chem Date: 2012-03-19 Impact factor: 5.157
Authors: Shruti K Gohil; Sandra Okubo; Stephen Klish; Linda Dickey; Susan S Huang; Matthew Zahn Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2015-09-09 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: Pamela Barbadoro; Anna Marigliano; Elena Di Tondo; Carlos Chiatti; Francesco Di Stanislao; Marcello M D'Errico; Emilia Prospero Journal: Hum Vaccin Immunother Date: 2013-04 Impact factor: 3.452
Authors: Iana H Haralambieva; Inna G Ovsyannikova; V Shane Pankratz; Richard B Kennedy; Robert M Jacobson; Gregory A Poland Journal: Expert Rev Vaccines Date: 2013-01 Impact factor: 5.217