Measles outbreak among Roma people in Wrocław, Poland, 2012

A measles outbreak that affected mainly the Roma ethnic group has been observed in Wrocław, southwest Poland, in spring/summer 2012. There were 15 confirmed measles cases occurring among young Roma people aged from 0 to 16 years including a newborn infant, born by a mother who showed measles symptoms immediately after delivery. Measles virus transmission into the general Polish population was restricted to two contact cases. Initiation of the outbreak by MeV importation from Romania has been confirmed by detection of MeV variant “D4-Maramures” circulating in Romania from 2011 to 2012. The outbreak experience highlights once more the still existing problem of immunity gaps in Roma groups moving throughout Europe with a high susceptibility among children and adolescents including young women of child-bearing age.