Measles cases hit a 5-year high
MEASLES cases in Greater Manchester hit their highest level in five years last year.
There were 144 suspected cases of measles reported to Public Health England (PHE) in 2018.
This was up from the 127 reported in 2017, and was the highest number in a year since 763 cases in 2013.
PHE repeatedly warned of measles outbreaks across England in 2018, linked to outbreaks in Europe, and particularly affecting teenagers and young adults who missed out on their MMR vaccine when they were younger.
According to PHE, between January 1 and October 31 last year, there were 913 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England, the most recent published figures. This is a steep rise in cases compared to 259 lab-confirmed measles cases in the whole of 2017.
Anyone who has not received two doses of MMR vaccine is at risk, with PHE encouraging anyone who is not sure if they are fully vaccinated to check with their GP and get up to date if necessary.
Registered medical practitioners in England and Wales have a statutory duty to notify their local authority or local Health Protection Team of suspected cases of certain infectious diseases.
The figures show cases of scarlet fever hit their highest level since available records began in 2010.
There were 1,663 cases of scarlet fever reported in Greater Manchester in 2018, up from 915 in 2017. Scarlet fever is a very contagious, seasonal bacterial illness that usually presents with a sore throat, fever, headaches, and a rosy rash that generally starts on a patient’s chest and mainly affects children. Cases usually peak between December and May. PHE suggested that the increase in cases in scarlet fever was partly due to more infections, but also partly due to more awareness of the condition leading to better reporting.
Scarlet fever is caused by Group A Streptococcus bacteria which is commonly found in the throat and nose, and on your skin, however if it gets into parts of the body where bacteria are not usually found, such as the blood, muscle, or the lungs it can cause invasive Group A Streptococcal disease.
Other infectious diseases reported in Greater Manchester included tuberculosis, with 311 cases, mumps, with 364 cases, and whooping cough, 49 cases.