Clinico-epidemiologic and Virologic Study of Measles Outbreak in Gwangju Metropolitan City During the 2000~2001 Epidemic

Na, Byoung Kuk; Chung, Jae Keun; Ki, Hyun Kyun; Ki, Hye Young; Kim, Sun Hee; Jung, Young Hwa; Shin, Ju Mi; Shin, Gu Choul; Kim, Yoon Young; Lee, Joo Yeon; Lee, Jin Soo; Kang, Chun; Kim, Woo Joo; Ha, Dong Rong; Kim, Ki Soon

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by measles virus. Although the introduction of live attenuated measles vaccines has dramatically abrogated the endemic incidence of measles in world-wide, there are still 30 million measles cases and nearly one million deaths from measles annually. In this study, we characterized the measles outbreak in Gwangju Metropolitan City during the 2000~200 1 epidemic.
METHODS
Study population included measles patients in Gwangju Metropolitan City from April, 2000 to May, 200 1. We conducted a questionnaire survey on the patients and analyzed the records based on the clinical guideline of World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, we isolated the measles viruses from clinical specimens of patients and analyzed the nucleotide sequences of nucleoprotein (N) gene.
RESULTS
During the April 2000 to May 2001, measles epidemic, a total of 3,2 17 measles patients were reported in Gwangju Metropolitan City. The first patient of measles was reported on April, 2000. The incidence reached its peak in November, 2000 and decreased thereafter. The age distribution of the patients were various, which was ranged from 1 month after birth to 30 year adult and the peak incidence was observed at 7~13 year old. Various complications were developed in 232 patients and 2 of them died. Phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide sequences and deduced amino acid sequences of the N genes of isolated viruses revealed that all viruses isolated in Gwangju Metropolitan City were grouped into the clade H1. This suggests that a single, predominant viral genotype was responsible for the measles epidemic in Gwangju Metropolitan City.
CONCLUSION
In this study, we characterized the measles outbreak in Gwangju Metropolitan City during 2000~200 1. The measles outbreak in Gwangju Metropolitan City was considered to be caused by single genotype of measles virus (clade H1). After a massive vaccination campaign among 7~16 years old children to eliminate indigenous measles from this country, it is important to continue measles vaccination and intensive surveillance clinically as well as virologically.