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In a West African urban community, measles infection in infants was examined over
5 years (1979–1983). In the age group 0 to 11 months, measles mortality was higher
among secondary cases (infected in the house) than among index cases (infected outside
the house), and the proportion of secondary cases was significantly higher for this
age group than for older children. Intensive exposure related to the social pattern
of disease transmission may be important in explaining the high infant mortality observed
with measles in developing countries. Mortality during the first 12 months of life
increased with age, presumably because of the decrease of maternally derived measles
antibodies. In children younger than 6 months of age, who are usually considered to
be protected by maternal antibody, intensive exposure may lead to infection, as demonstrated
by a high level of measles-specific antibodies in some children exposed to an older
sibling with measles. The aim of public health policies should be to change conditions
of exposure.
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Article Info
Publication History
Accepted:
February 12,
1986
Received:
December 3,
1985
Footnotes
†Data from Guinea-Bissau were collected in a study jointlyorganized by the Ministry of Health, Guinea-Bissau, and the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries (SAREC). The last part of the study was supported by the Danish Council for Development Research and the Danish Medical Research Council.
Identification
Copyright
© 1986 C. V. Mosby Company. Published by Elsevier Inc.
