A retrospective review of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen (2020–2023)
Abstract Background Measles, a highly infectious disease that can lead to serious health problems and even death, has recently recurred worldwide despite the measures taken, with Yemen experiencing the most outbreaks among countries worldwide. There is a scarcity of current information regarding the...
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Tropical Medicine and Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-025-00776-8 |
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| author | Wadee Abdullah Al-Shehari Wadhah Hassan Edrees Eglal Ahmed Qasem Yahya Ali Al-Qadhi Abdulrahman Abdullah Humaid Ali Ahmed Al-Halani |
| author_facet | Wadee Abdullah Al-Shehari Wadhah Hassan Edrees Eglal Ahmed Qasem Yahya Ali Al-Qadhi Abdulrahman Abdullah Humaid Ali Ahmed Al-Halani |
| author_sort | Wadee Abdullah Al-Shehari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Measles, a highly infectious disease that can lead to serious health problems and even death, has recently recurred worldwide despite the measures taken, with Yemen experiencing the most outbreaks among countries worldwide. There is a scarcity of current information regarding the measles epidemic in the Ibb Governorate of Yemen. Consequently, this retrospective analysis aimed to ascertain the pattern of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen, during the 4-year period from 2020 to 2023. Methods The secondary measles data contained in the database of the Health and Environment Office at Ibb Governorate between 2020 and 2023 were used for this retrospective analysis. Results Of the 3,898 suspected measles cases, the majority of cases were recorded among males (53.2%), in the 0–4 age group (65.5%), in autumn (31.6%), and in 2023 (52.5%). The cumulative incidence rate of measles cases was 12.6 cases per 10,000 population, with the highest rates in males (13.7 cases) and the age group of 0–4 years (57.9 cases). The incidence rate has been increasing between 2020 and 2023, from 0.7 to 6.8 cases per 10,000 people. Furthermore, the overall fatality rate for measles cases was 0.87% and was significantly higher in children aged 0–4 years. The districts of As Saddah (44.7 cases) and Yarim (30.6 cases) recorded the highest incidences of measles. Most of the people who had measles had a rash (3,898; 100%), fever (3,887; 99.7%), cough (3,269; 83.9%), and runny nose (2,763; 70.9%). Additionally, 60.8% (2,370) of the cases were among unvaccinated individuals. Conclusion Current findings indicate that measles cases are increasing over the years and could pose a significant threat to the population if left unaddressed. A stronger vaccination program, better healthcare infrastructure, the fight against vaccine hesitancy, and international collaboration are crucial for controlling and eliminating measles in this country. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0a9083d5ea3440bf9a48fdabb34d49a6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1349-4147 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tropical Medicine and Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-0a9083d5ea3440bf9a48fdabb34d49a62025-08-20T03:43:30ZengBMCTropical Medicine and Health1349-41472025-07-0153111110.1186/s41182-025-00776-8A retrospective review of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen (2020–2023)Wadee Abdullah Al-Shehari0Wadhah Hassan Edrees1Eglal Ahmed Qasem2Yahya Ali Al-Qadhi3Abdulrahman Abdullah Humaid4Ali Ahmed Al-Halani5Department of Medical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ibb UniversityDepartment of Medical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hajjah UniversityDepartment of Medical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a UniversityDepartment of Medical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hajjah UniversityBiological Sciences Department/ Microbiology Division, Faculty of Sciences, Sana’a UniversityDepartment of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Hajjah UniversityAbstract Background Measles, a highly infectious disease that can lead to serious health problems and even death, has recently recurred worldwide despite the measures taken, with Yemen experiencing the most outbreaks among countries worldwide. There is a scarcity of current information regarding the measles epidemic in the Ibb Governorate of Yemen. Consequently, this retrospective analysis aimed to ascertain the pattern of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen, during the 4-year period from 2020 to 2023. Methods The secondary measles data contained in the database of the Health and Environment Office at Ibb Governorate between 2020 and 2023 were used for this retrospective analysis. Results Of the 3,898 suspected measles cases, the majority of cases were recorded among males (53.2%), in the 0–4 age group (65.5%), in autumn (31.6%), and in 2023 (52.5%). The cumulative incidence rate of measles cases was 12.6 cases per 10,000 population, with the highest rates in males (13.7 cases) and the age group of 0–4 years (57.9 cases). The incidence rate has been increasing between 2020 and 2023, from 0.7 to 6.8 cases per 10,000 people. Furthermore, the overall fatality rate for measles cases was 0.87% and was significantly higher in children aged 0–4 years. The districts of As Saddah (44.7 cases) and Yarim (30.6 cases) recorded the highest incidences of measles. Most of the people who had measles had a rash (3,898; 100%), fever (3,887; 99.7%), cough (3,269; 83.9%), and runny nose (2,763; 70.9%). Additionally, 60.8% (2,370) of the cases were among unvaccinated individuals. Conclusion Current findings indicate that measles cases are increasing over the years and could pose a significant threat to the population if left unaddressed. A stronger vaccination program, better healthcare infrastructure, the fight against vaccine hesitancy, and international collaboration are crucial for controlling and eliminating measles in this country.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-025-00776-8ChildDisease outbreaksEpidemiological trendsIncidenceMeaslesRetrospective studies |
| spellingShingle | Wadee Abdullah Al-Shehari Wadhah Hassan Edrees Eglal Ahmed Qasem Yahya Ali Al-Qadhi Abdulrahman Abdullah Humaid Ali Ahmed Al-Halani A retrospective review of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen (2020–2023) Tropical Medicine and Health Child Disease outbreaks Epidemiological trends Incidence Measles Retrospective studies |
| title | A retrospective review of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen (2020–2023) |
| title_full | A retrospective review of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen (2020–2023) |
| title_fullStr | A retrospective review of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen (2020–2023) |
| title_full_unstemmed | A retrospective review of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen (2020–2023) |
| title_short | A retrospective review of measles outbreaks in Ibb Governorate, Yemen (2020–2023) |
| title_sort | retrospective review of measles outbreaks in ibb governorate yemen 2020 2023 |
| topic | Child Disease outbreaks Epidemiological trends Incidence Measles Retrospective studies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-025-00776-8 |
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