Imphal: The health authorities in Manipur’s Senapati district have confirmed a measles outbreak, with 11 people testing positive.
These cases were detected in Council River Colony, Phyamai Vabuh, TNK Gate, Yapao Colony, DV School, Road to Emesiiphro and Mt Everest areas.
Senapati’s chief medical officer, Dr. Percy Sumpi, has issued a circular stating that a measles outbreak has been detected in the district.
Since the first case was confirmed on June 20, there have been 35 suspected cases. Of those, 11 have tested positive for measles, and the results for 18 other samples are still pending.
A finding reveals that nine of the 11 confirmed cases had not received any measles vaccine. This underscores the severe risk for unvaccinated individuals and the urgent importance of immunization to control the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the public has been advised to remain vigilant.
Sumpi has announced that a rapid outbreak response is underway. “To actively monitor the situation, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) from the district headquarters have been deployed. Their mission is to conduct active surveillance, which includes listing all children under five, verifying their immunization status, and identifying and monitoring suspected cases within the community,” the Chief Medical Officer said.
As part of the containment measures, the health department has emphasised that children with a fever and rash must be kept home for at least four days after the rash appears.
Besides, schools and healthcare providers should immediately report any suspected measles cases (fever with a rash) to their local health facility.
In addition, parents have been urged to check their child’s vaccination records to ensure they have received their timely Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine.
Measles is caused by a virus that spreads through tiny airborne droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets can stay in the air or on surfaces for hours. Crowded environments—such as schools, hostels, markets, and public gatherings—are perfect settings for the virus to spread rapidly.
If an unvaccinated person is exposed, there is a 90% chance they will get infected. In a community where many are unvaccinated, a single case can ignite a full-scale outbreak.
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The circular further stated that health officials are monitoring the situation closely and sought public cooperation to limit the spread of the disease. “Early detection, reporting, and immunisation are key to controlling this outbreak,” it mentioned.
