Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
Measles continue to spread in eastern Slovakia, surpassing the Michalovce district borders. The laboratory tests confirmed that a child from Trebišov is suffering from the disease, Jana Fedáková, spokesperson for the Svet Zdravia network of hospitals, informed on July 24.
The child with the disease was coming from the local Roma settlement, and was previously living in Michalovce, where the first measles cases occurred.
At the same time, she confirmed that a child from Vranov nad Topľou is also suffering from measles. These two are the new localities in the Lower Zemplín region where the disease has occurred, the TASR newswire reported.
Both children were transported to the Michalovce hospital last week, with one undergoing outpatient treatment and the other being hospitalised.
“The laboratory tests confirmed the disease in both cases,” Fedáková said, as quoted by TASR.
In addition, there is one suspicion reported in Rožňava. Svet Zdravia is currently waiting for the test results as the clinical signs are unclear, she added.
Currently, 15 patients are hospitalised in Michalovce, five of them admitted during July 24. Since the beginning of the epidemic, the hospital has hospitalised altogether 220 patients, while another 80 underwent outpatient treatment, TASR reported.
New measures introduced
The regional office of the Public Health Authority (ÚVZ) reported 279 measles cases before July 23, of which 150 were confirmed by the laboratory tests. The most cases were reported in the Michalovce district (270), with the remaining nine being reported in the Sobrance district.
Due to the epidemic, the emergency situation was declared in the Michalovce district and several measures had to be adopted to prevent the spread of the disease. The crisis staff will meet on July 31 to discuss the situation and the measures.
The measures have also been adopted by the town of Trebišov, with the regional ÚVZ office ordering medical supervision and vaccination against measles for children aged six months to 10 years living on Ivana Kraska Street. Moreover, it adopted quarantine measures and ordered the disinfection of households, TASR reported.
ÚVZ has already checked the vaccination reports of children aged 15 months to 18 years living on the street.
“Children without complete regular mandatory vaccination against measles due to their age were vaccinated during the weekend,” said ÚVZ’s spokesperson Daša Račková, as quoted by TASR.
Hospitals careful, too
Several measures were adopted by Trebišov hospital. For now, only the employees of the most risky wards who have contact with patients have had to be vaccinated, but the hospital is ready to increase the number if the situation worsens, said the hospital’s director, Juraj Bazár.
In addition, the University Hospital of Louis Pasteur in Košice adopted preventive measures against measles. They are preparing the summaries of the vaccination status of its employees working on all of its wards and clinics.
Moreover, the hospital will secure free vaccination for its employees. It recommends it mostly to those who have not suffered from the disease or were not vaccinated with both doses, the hospital’s spokesperson Ivana Stašková told TASR.
The Teaching Hospital with the Policlinics of J. A. Reiman in Prešov also recommended preventive vaccination of the employees working in the most risky wards. It is ready to help with the situation in Michalovce if necessary, said its spokesperson Renáta Cenková.
Disclaimer: Svet Zdravia belongs to the Penta financial group, the minority owner of Petit Press, the co-owner of The Slovak Spectator.
