Further 70 suspected measles cases reported in UK amid 'alarming' surge of cases

24 January 2024 , 14:16

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Suspected cases of measles are on the rise and causing such concern that the WHO has issued a warning (Image: Getty Images)

A further 70 suspected cases of measles have been reported in the UK amid an "alarming" surge of the Victorian-era disease.

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), 144 suspected cases were logged in the fortnight leading up to January 14. Seventy-four of those in the first week, and 70 in the week after. The West Midlands appears to be the worst-affected region, where 36 cases were reported in the seven days before January 14.

The prior week, 27 were recorded. In London, there were 12 cases in comparison to eight the week before. In the East of England, there were four cases in the second week, compared to a single case the week prior. In all other regions, the number of infections fell. The data, which was obtained from the UKHSA's weekly Statutory Notifications of Infectious Diseases report, represents suspected rather than confirmed cases.

In 2023, there were a total of 1,603 suspected cases of measles in England and Wales, a significant rise compared to 635 in 2022 and 360 the in 2021. It comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a fresh warning over measles after an almost 45-fold rise in cases across Europe.

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Experts from the WHO said Europe is seeing an "alarming rise" in the spread of the disease (Getty Images)

Experts from the global health body said Europe is seeing an "alarming rise" in the spread of the disease, which has "accelerated in recent months". Some 42,200 cases were reported by member states in 2023, almost 45 times the 941 cases in 2022. Two in five cases were in children aged one to four, while one in five were among people aged 20 and over. The rising trend is expected to continue if people do not vaccinate their children against the disease, WHO said.

It comes after the UK launched its own campaigns to encourage parents to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine for their children. Measles can lead to serious complications, lifelong disability and death. It can affect the lungs and brain and cause pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures. Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said: "Vaccination is the only way to protect children from this potentially dangerous disease. Urgent vaccination efforts are needed to halt transmission and prevent further spread.

"It is vital that all countries are prepared to rapidly detect and timely respond to measles outbreaks, which could endanger progress towards measles elimination." The WHO said that sliding vaccination rates were to blame, but more people were now travelling abroad after Covid-19, increasing the risk of cross-border disease transmission and spread within communities.

Ryan Fahey