Since January 2024, five cases of measles have been confirmed in the area that includes the Metropolitan City of Milan and the surrounding areas in Lombardy, covariants that can escape diagnostic tests.
The cases are all classified as genotype D8 and "sporadic" as no clear epidemiological link has been found between them.
This is what is reported by a study conducted by researchers from the State University of Milan and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, published on Eurosurveillance.
In three of the five identified cases, it is explained, a recent travel history was reported, the destinations included Uzbekistan, Thailand and southern Italy. In particular, two of these cases, each with a travel history to Southern Italy or Thailand, were infected from MeV strains characterized by the three mismatches described by Pérez-Rodríguez".
He is a researcher who conducted a study with his team in Switzerland, "a region that borders" the area where the Lombard cases were identified.
"Our results suggest that MeVs with the specific mutations detected through Swiss molecular surveillance are already circulating in Italy", the researchers observe, adding that they can "be detected with reduced sensitivity by many diagnostic tests currently used. This highlights the importance of promptly updating diagnostic tests for detect all currently circulating MeV strains," they conclude.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA