Europe-wide surge in measles cases

The infection rate of measles across Europe has risen sharply over the last few years, prompting fears that the goal of eradicating the disease by 2010 may prove unobtainable.

According to new research published in the Lancet, 12,132 cases of the disease were found across 32 European countries in 2006-07, with Romania, Germany, the UK, Switzerland and Italy recording the highest incidence with about 15 per cent of all cases.

The published report concludes that the situation illustrated by these findings "raises serious doubts that the goal of elimination by 2010 can be attained".

Mark Muscat, an epidemiologist at the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen who conducted the research, told Reuters: "Measles is erroneously thought of to be a mild disease but it can cause complications, including fatal ones."

The report suggests that the problem lies in the "suboptimum" level of measles vaccination. In August, the Department of Health launched a catch-up programme of MMR vaccinations.