ONE NEW CONFIRMED case of measles has been reported in Ireland by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), making it the fifth such case of 2024. 

Four other cases had already been confirmed in February and March and in one of those cases an adult died. 

The latest confirmed case comes ahead of the rollout of the Department of Health’s MMR Catch-up Vaccination Programme. The Department told The Journal that the details of the programme are currently being finalised by the HSE. 

Last week, the HSE issued an urgent alert to passengers who had travelled on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Dublin, which was carrying one confirmed case of the highly infectious disease. 

A number of other suspected measles cases in Ireland are currently being reviewed.

Each suspected case of measles needs to be tested in a laboratory before being confirmed as measles or denotified. Several possible measles cases have been declassified in recent weeks.

Measles cases have been on the rise recently in Europe, prompting concern among medical experts and the UN’s World Health Organisation. 

Symptoms 

Measles is a highly infectious disease that can cause serious complications, particularly in children under one year of age, pregnant women, and the immunosuppressed.

It typically starts with cold-like symptoms that develop about 10 days after a person gets infected. The person will get a rash a few days later.

Symptoms include: 

• Cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and a cough. 

• Sore red eyes. 

• A temperature of 38 degrees celsius or above. 

• A rash, which usually appear on the head and neck before spreading to the rest of the body. 

The illness usually lasts for seven to 10 days. You can read more in our explainer on the disease here. 

Includes reporting from Órla Ryan.