Measles outbreak

Last week the Public Health Agency said there were a small number of confirmed and suspected cases, understood to be around 10, which affected children and young adults.

It’s believed the outbreak of the diseases is confined to three areas and none of those affected are of school age. The carriers are either very young children or young adults.

A spokesperson for the agency said they did not expect the outbreak to spread as there is a high uptake level for the MMR jab in Northern Ireland.

However a warning has still been issued for parents to make sure their children are vaccinated with MMR (Mumps, Measles and Rubella).

Measles is an acute infection caused by a virus. It used to be very common in children, but is now rare because of the high levels of immunisation.

Although most common in children, it can occur at any age. Measles is very infectious and is caught either through direct contact with an infected person, or through the air when the patient coughs or sneezes.

Measles starts with feeling generally unwell, irritable, runny nose, red eyes, and an increasing fever (high temperature). After about four days, a rash appears of flat red or brown blotches. This lasts for four to seven days. The whole illness lasts for up to 14 days.

For most children, measles is just a very unpleasant illness, for a few it can have more serious complications, these can include pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and even death.

An outbreak in the Republic of Ireland in 2000 resulted in more than 1,600 cases and three deaths.