Department of Microbiology, The University of Haripur, Haripur, KP 22610, Pakistan.
Shanghai Key Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Chiral Drugs, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, China.
J Infect Public Health. 2024 Jun;17(6):994-1000. doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.03.028. Epub 2024 Mar 29.
Measles has been a significant public health concern in Pakistan, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, where sporadic and silent epidemics continue to challenge existing control measures. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and investigate the molecular epidemiology of the measles virus (MeV) in KPK and explore the vaccination status among the suspected individuals.
A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and October 2021. A total of 336 suspected measles cases from the study population were analyzed for IgM antibodies using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Throat swabs were randomly collected from a subset of positive cases for molecular analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of MeV isolates was performed using the neighbor-joining method. The vaccination status of individuals was also recorded.
Among the suspected participants, 61.0% (205/336) were ELISA positive for IgM antibodies, with a higher prevalence in males (64.17%) compared to females (57.04%). The majority of cases (36.0%) were observed in infants and toddlers, consistent with previous reports. The majority of IgM-positive cases (71.7%) had not received any dose of measles vaccine, highlighting gaps in vaccine coverage and the need for improved immunization programs. Genetic analysis revealed that all MeV isolates belonged to the B3 genotype, with minor genetic variations from previously reported variants in the region.
This study provides valuable insights into the genetic epidemiology of the MeV in KPK, Pakistan. The high incidence of measles infection among unvaccinated individuals highlights the urgency of raising awareness about vaccine importance and strengthening routine immunization programs.
在巴基斯坦，麻疹一直是一个重大的公共卫生关注点，尤其是在开伯尔-普赫图赫瓦省（KPK），那里持续存在的散发性和无声的疫情继续对现有控制措施构成挑战。本研究旨在评估 KPK 省麻疹病毒（MeV）的流行情况并调查其分子流行病学，同时探索疑似病例的疫苗接种情况。
本研究于 2021 年 2 月至 10 月进行了一项横断面研究。使用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）对研究人群中的 336 例疑似麻疹病例进行 IgM 抗体分析。从阳性病例中随机采集咽拭子进行分子分析。使用邻接法对 MeV 分离株进行系统发育分析。同时还记录了个体的疫苗接种情况。
在疑似参与者中，61.0%（205/336）的 ELISA 检测结果为 IgM 抗体阳性，男性（64.17%）的阳性率高于女性（57.04%）。大多数病例（36.0%）发生在婴儿和幼儿中，与以往报告一致。大多数 IgM 阳性病例（71.7%）未接种任何剂量的麻疹疫苗，这突显了疫苗覆盖率的差距和加强免疫规划的必要性。遗传分析显示，所有 MeV 分离株均属于 B3 基因型，与该地区先前报道的变异株相比存在微小的遗传差异。
本研究为巴基斯坦 KPK 省 MeV 的遗传流行病学提供了有价值的信息。未接种疫苗的个体中麻疹感染发生率较高，这凸显了提高疫苗重要性认识和加强常规免疫规划的紧迫性。
