Susceptibility to measles among health workers in a university hospital in southern Italy

Objectives. Measles still has a high impact on the health of the population in Italy and therefore requires a strong commitment to prevention at national level. In addition to Italy, measles outbreaks have also been reported in other EU countries, with a high number of cases and a rapid spread of the disease even in the nosocomial context between patients and health personnel. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of measles in a group of health workers working at a university hospital in southern Italy. Materials and methods. A seroepidemiological study was conducted on 458 health workers. Measles antibody IgG and IgM levels were evaluated by immunoenzymatic testing. Results. The highest percentage of susceptible subjects was ≤30 years old, with a statistically significant difference compared to the age group ≥51 years. With regard to gender, susceptibility to measles in males was significantly higher than in females (p<0.05). Additional statistically significant differences were found in the different age groups in both genders. Conclusions. Although the results show that most health workers are immune to measles, a 20% susceptibility certainly represents a risk for the spread of the disease among operators and patients. Vaccination and control of suspected cases, especially in community settings such as the hospital environment, are the main measures to prevent the transmission and spread of the disease.