Headlines - Measles: Updated Surveillance Data as of April 24, 2014

From January 1, 2008, to March 31, 2014, more than 23,300 cases of measles were reported in France (including nearly 15,000 cases reported in 2011 alone). Nearly 1,500 cases developed severe pneumonia, 34 had neurological complications (31 cases of encephalitis, 1 case of myelitis, and 2 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome), and 10 died. The number of cases dropped sharply in 2012 and 2013 (859 and 272 reported cases, respectively); however, the virus remains active, particularly in southeastern France. During the first quarter of 2014, 106 cases were reported, half of which were in Ille-et-Vilaine, where active outbreaks were occurring (see figure). The situation in Burgundy and Franche-Comté followed the national trend: nearly 500 cases reported during the 2011 epidemic, 15 cases reported in 2012, 4 in 2013, and 2 since the beginning of 2014 (see Tables 1 and 2 below).Due to the persistence of active outbreaks and the highly contagious nature of the disease, verifying vaccination status and ensuring it is up to date with two doses of vaccine for anyone aged 12 months or older and born after 1980 remains imperative.