ish Authorities Fear Measles Outbreak

[Guest guest]

ish Authorities Fear Measles Outbreak By SUEVON LEE, Associated

Press Writer

Wed Apr 5, 7:52 PM ET

LONDON - ish authorities are urging individuals to be vaccinated

against measles amid fears of an outbreak after the first recorded

death from the disease in the United Kingdom in 14 years, officials

said Wednesday.

The 13-year-old boy, who died last month in the county of Dumfries

and Galloway, was part of a traveling community and had not been

vaccinated. He was also suffering from an underlying lung condition,

the British Broadcasting Corp. reported.

Three other adult cases have been confirmed while nine suspected

cases are being investigated, said Dr. Breen, a public health

consultant in the region in southwest Scotland.

" We are reasonably concerned this could be the start of a much bigger

outbreak, " Breen said.

Elsewhere, six nurses at Central Middlesex Hospital in London were

also confirmed to have contracted the disease after possibly caring

for an infected child.

" An infection seems to be getting on the move, so people should now

go and pick up their two doses of (the vaccine), " Breen said.

Despite urging caution, ish health authorities stressed no

evidence was found of any widespread transmission in or around

affected communities.

The ish region where the cases have been reported has one of the

highest vaccination rates in the country, at 93 percent. The

World Health Organization recommends a 95 percent rate of vaccination

to prevent a measles outbreak.

http://news./s/ap/20060405/ap_on_he_me/scotland_measles_1