BHUBANESWAR: The health administration on Wednesday swung into action after two children tested positive for measles and rubella (MR) virus in Nabarangpur district.
The MR immunisation drive was taken up in a mission mode in the state in a bid to eliminate the diseases by December last year. Health department sources said the cases were detected in Tentulikhunti and Nandahandi blocks of the tribal-dominated district. While a one-year-old boy tested positive for measles and rubella, another eight-year-old boy was found to be rubella positive. Of the five samples initially sent to Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) for the test, one sample was found to be equivocal for MR. Since its status could not be ascertained, a fresh sample will be drawn from the six-year-old girl and sent for test.
Director of health services Dr Bijay Mohapatra said samples were collected after some children were found with fever and rashes on their bodies. Samples of two children have been detected with MR virus. “The local health teams have collected samples from 18 persons, who were found with fever and rashes in the two blocks so far. The samples sent to the ICMR lab are negative for scrub typhus and leptospirosis. The MR test reports are awaited,” he said.
Health officials said there is no need to panic as the situation is under control. Rapid response teams from the health department and another team of ICMR have been sent to the spot to keep a tab on the situation. “The vaccination status of the affected children is not known. We have asked the local health officials to verify whether the children were vaccinated and when. In some states, vaccinated children have also tested positive, but their numbers are very few,” said director (family welfare) Dr Bijay Panigrahy.
Although MR is not fatal for children, rubella is very dangerous for pregnant women and her developing baby. Infection with rubella virus causes the most severe damage when the mother is infected in the first 12 weeks as it leads to congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Outbreak of measles and rubella has been sporadic in recent years in the state. A study on epidemiology of viral disease outbreaks in Odisha revealed that the state had 23 measles outbreaks involving 464 cases between 2010 and 2019 and 60 cases of rubella were found during the period.
