Faced with a recent increase in the number of measles cases in mainland France, the French Health Ministry is calling on doctors early childhood professionals to be "increasingly vigilant." The agency is particular concerned about "imported" cases coming from places like Morocco.
The Directorate General of Health (DGS) issued a message to professionals dated 7 March, stating that given the extreme contagiousness of the disease, they could expect to see more cases spread across the country "in the coming weeks".
The agency insisted on a "high vaccination coverage among the population of all ages, including healthcare professionals and those working with children, to limit viral circulation and protect the most vulnerable".
A highly contagious disease, measles spreads through respiratory droplets and lingering in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
It causes fever, respiratory symptoms, and a rash. It can also lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation, and death.
Actively circulating in France
"It is one of the most contagious viruses on the planet," François Dubos, head of the pediatric emergency department at Lille University Hospital, explained to France 2 television.
"An infected person can infect 15 to 20 people around them who are not immune."
The virus is actively circulating in mainland France, with reports issued by seven regional health agencies (ARS) for around 100 cases.
France has had measles outrbreaks before, but the number of cases had declined significantly during the Covid-19 lockdown, with only 16 and 15 cases recorded in 2021 and 2022.
The virus was present in 2023 (117 cases), but then increased in the first quarter of 2024, when the number of infections was already higher than in the entire previous year.
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Historic level of measles in Morocco
Aside from the seasonal occurrence of the virus, health authorities are concerned about new cases that are being imported.
According to Public Health France (SpF), 13 cases have been imported by people who have stayed in Morocco since the beginning of the year in several regions of France, compared to 26 cases for the whole of 2024.
The cases concerned children under 5 and young adults, who required hospitalisation, with 11 admissions in January alone.
Morocco has been experiencing an epidemic of "historic level" and France has urged travellers to check their vaccination status before visiting the kingdom.
Since late 2023, the North African country has reported more than 25,000 measles cases, 6,300 confirmed cases and 120 deaths, according to the National Centre for Public Health Emergencies.
Even though vaccination remains the best protection against the disease, immunisation rates have fallen in recent years.
The vaccine hesitancy, driven by misinformation, was made during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Moroccan authorities have scaled up vaccination against measles in recent months in a bid to control the outbreak.
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Rise in cases in the US
Elsewhere, in the southwestern United States, a measles outbreak has killed two people and infected nearly 230, according to the latest figures released Friday.
In February, an unvaccinated child died of measles in Texas, and last week, an adult from New Mexico – which neighbours Texas – also died from the disease.
In France, vaccination for measles has been mandatory since1 January, 2018, with a first dose at 12 months and the second between 16 and 18 months.
Vaccination can prevent the onset of the disease after contact with a case, provided it is administered within 72 hours.
The incubation period for the disease lasts ten to twelve days, and the average time for the rash to appear is 14 days. The leading cause of death is pneumonia in children and acute encephalitis in adults.
(With newswires)
