Measles surveillance and outbreak investigation in Benadir - Mogadishu, Somalia

Abstract Measles, also known as rubella, is one of the most contagious infectious diseases, with at least a 90% secondary infection rate in susceptible domestic contacts. It can affect people of all ages Measles is an infectious disease caused by the Morbillivirus of the Paramyxoviridae family; it can transmit droplets from an infected person through coughs or sneezes1. The most contagious period is 3–5 days after the rash. It may extend due to the blood, urine, nasopharyngeal mucosa, and mouth virus presence, and the contagious period is high due to the virus’s replication in the upper respiratory tract2. Measles outbreaks are cyclical epidemics that appear mainly between the late winter and early spring and are highly related to crowded and low vaccine coverage3. In addition, several studies have reported that a high birth rate is an outbreak’s supporting factor4. The incubation period is between four days before the rash and four days after, estimated to be 10–14 days5. The level of viremia is related to the period of coughing, coryza. It may increase viral transmission, and an unbroken transmission chain leads to sustaining the virus in humans since it is undetectable in animal reservoirs(Dey, 2023)