Measles outbreak in Ibadan: clinical, serological and virological identification of affected children in selected hospitals.

An outbreak of measles was investigated in four selected hospitals in Ibadan using clinical, serological and virological methods to identify the affected children. A total of 25 children who were either vaccinated or not vaccinated were involved. Signs and symptoms were, however, more severe among the non-vaccinated children. Measles virus was successfully isolated from three of the children, confirming that the measles virus was involved in the outbreak. Serological tests using both haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and the solid phase immunosorbent test (SPIT) showed evidence of measles antibody in the sera of affected children. The SPIT test was able to detect both IgM and IgA in the sera, indicating that it was a recent infection. Implications of the result obtained in the study for the control of measles in Nigeria is discussed.