Measles outbreak kills 26 in Alor

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post/Kupang

Twenty six children, all under five-years old, have died from a virulent measles outbreak on the remote island of Alor in East Nusa Tenggara during the past two weeks, a health official says.

More than 200 other children are sick with the virus in the villages of East Mataru, Taman Mataru and Kamafui, with four in a critical condition, local health office head Paul S. Manumpil told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He said late treatment was the cause of the fatalities, which could have been prevented.

"Most of them were infected by the end of October but were not treated accordingly," Paul said.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the morbillivirus. The disease is common among children but also seen in older non-immune people.

As small children lacked immunity, without treatment they could die after three days of exposure, Paul said.

To prevent the virus from spreading, medical workers had isolated the three villages. They were treating sick children with antibiotics, he said.

State Kalabahi Hospital director Yoseph Usen Uma said the children were unlikely to have been vaccinated against the virus.

"Had vaccinations taken place earlier the impact of the outbreak would not have been that bad," he said.

In most children, measles vaccines are given as part of the mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) immunization. MMR is given twice during childhood at the age 15 months and at 11 to 12 years old.

Paul said the virus was airborne and spread through the food and drink consumed by the children.

Alor Regent Ans Takalapeta has ordered medical workers in the regency to give aid to the survivors.

Symptoms of measles include fever, a hacking cough, runny nose, and a red pimply rash over the body.