(ANSA) – Rome, August 9 – After peaking in April with 180 monthly cases and a resurgence in June with 152 infections, the number of measles cases in Italy dropped to 89 in July. This was revealed by the surveillance system of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. According to the report, there have been 807 measles cases in Italy so far this year (44 in all of 2023).
Despite a 50% reduction in reported cases from the peak in April, the ISS warns that a new surge in cases is possible in the coming months due to new imports following summer travel. The only way to protect yourself from measles and its serious complications is to get vaccinated.
Over 80% of the cases recorded since the beginning of the year have occurred in six regions: Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio, Campania, and Sicily. Lazio has the highest incidence, with 55.4 cases per million inhabitants. Abruzzo follows with 55.3 cases per million, while Emilia-Romagna and Sicily have 51.2 and 46.5 cases per million, respectively.
The infection primarily affects young adults, with over half (52.6%) of cases between the ages of 15 and 39. The highest incidence was observed in the 0-4 age group (90.4 cases per million), with 38 cases reported in children under one year of age.
Of the infected individuals, 89.8% are unvaccinated, 5.2% have received only one dose, and 3.8% are fully vaccinated. Complications from the infection are frequent, with 33.2% reporting at least one, including hepatitis or elevated transaminases. One case of encephalitis was also reported in a young adult who was not vaccinated.
Two cases of rubella have also been reported this year.