Health Protection Agency (HPA) has taken precautionary measures after a Maldivian tested positive for measles following a trip abroad.
HPA said in a statement Thursday that the individual who tested positive recently flew into the country after having spent some time overseas.
The individual was found positive in the Male' area on Tuesday, the statement revealed.
HPA added that the patient is being treated in the hospital due to his health condition. He tested positive despite completing two doses of the measles vaccine.
Unvaccinated people, children and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of contracting measles.
Doctors say it is very rare for people who have been vaccinated to get measles. Two doses of the vaccine reduce the risk of infection by 97 percent.
After an imported case of measles was found in the country, HPA started identifying contacts according to the guidelines.
"Some contacts have been notified [that they have been in contact with a measles-positive person], and those who have not completed the vaccination have been vaccinated," HPA claimed.
The infected person had traveled within the period of time when he was likely to spread the disease. HPA is now collecting information on those who contacted him during the journey, at home and in the hospital.
In addition to completing the vaccination of contacts, ring vaccination will be conducted in the area where the infected person lives, HPA added.
The main symptoms of measles are red rashes on the skin with a cough. Some people may also experience symptoms such as coughing, runny nose and red eyes.
Measles can spread rapidly and it is important to seek the advice of a healthcare provider if you have symptoms.
Since measles is eradicated in the Maldives, even a single case is considered an outbreak. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Maldives had eradicated measles.
But in early 2020, there was a measles outbreak in Male'. An outbreak was also reported in Addu last April. However, the two outbreaks were quickly contained.
