There have been two outbreaks of infectious diseases, rubella (German measles) and scarlet fever, which are both very rare illnesses in Malta, according to Charmaine Gauci, the director of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department.
The rubella outbreak occurred in Malta, and involves three people who fell ill after having been in each other’s company. All three, aged between 23 and 28, did not have a history of vaccination against the disease.
The other outbreak is of scarlet fever, which has affected five children attending a primary school in Gozo. Dr Gauci said she preferred not to disclose the name of the school to avoid a state of panic.
Contacted by The Malta Independent, Dr Gauci said the incidence of rubella is very sporadic; in fact, there were only two reported cases in 2007 and one case the previous year.
However, Dr Gauci appealed to the public, particularly women of childbearing age, to take the jab against rubella.
“The disease can cause congenital rubella syndrome in babies if contracted during pregnancy. The syndrome can cause malformation of the eyes, brain, ears or the heart. So we encourage people to take the vaccination and to get it done for their children.”
The World Health Organisation advises that following any confirmed outbreak of rubella, surveillance should be conducted to identify suspected congenital rubella syndrome cases in infants up to 11 months old, until nine months after the end of the outbreak.
The department is therefore enhancing the surveillance of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome to identify any suspected cases and has informed all the health care practitioners who may come across such cases of this outbreak.
On the scarlet fever outbreak, the department, in accordance with international practices has recommended that children in the same class be excluded from school for the coming seven to 10 days until results of the tests that are to be performed are available, in order to limit the possible spread of the outbreak.
All parents of the children in the class where the outbreak occurred have been contacted and the department said no other measures are required in the rest of the school.
Dr Gauci said scarlet fever is a mild illness that is treated using antibiotics. All five children affected are in a stable condition and recovering at home, she said, adding that there were no reported cases of this illness in 2006, and just one case in 2007.
In both instances, the department reassured the public that all the necessary measures are being taken to limit the spread of these outbreaks, and that there is no cause for alarm.