During Tuesday, the Public Health Authority announced that eleven cases of measles have been confirmed. The majority of those infected are under the age of 18. The cases are connected to the festival Urkult which was held between July 30 and August 1 in Näsåker outside Sollefteå.
- There are quite a few cases to be an outbreak in Sweden. Other years we have had five cases in one year, sometimes 20–30 cases, Johanna Rubin, doctor at the Public Health Agency's unit for vaccinations, told DN.
Västerbotten County has two confirmed cases. It is about an adult and a child, something that P4 Västerbotten was the first to report on. According to the region's infection control doctor Maria Marklund, one of them was vaccinated.
- They have no relationship to each other, their common denominator is that they have visited the festival. None of them are being treated in hospital.
The region is currently tracking around 60 people who have been in contact with infected people at the festival.
- We have come a long way in infection tracking and as it looks today, I don't think it will be expanded.
According to the festival's operations manager Eric Torestad, they have tried to reach the visitors during the weekend.
"Since the festival was completely sold out in advance, we have been able to reach the largest part of our visitors. During the festival, we have a healthcare team with medical staff around the clock. We had no one who sought care with a high fever or a rash." Eric Torestad has written in a comment to DN.
In Västernorrland county, where the festival was held, no cases have been reported yet, according to the region's infection control doctor Maria Tempé. She says that the number of cases in Sweden is likely to increase.
- We have seen many cases in a short time and there are still people who seek care and are to be tested.
The incubation period, the time when one can become ill, is up to 21 days.
- You can imagine that people connected to the festival can still get sick until August 23, she says.
Measles often starts with fever, dry cough and irritated eyes. After a few days, the infected person develops a rash that often starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
- It is an extremely contagious disease that spreads through the air, via small, tiny droplets that you breathe out. Being in the same room as someone who is contagious is enough.
According to Maria Tempé, it is mainly unvaccinated people who get infected. She adds that Sweden has a high vaccination rate, around 95 percent of all children are vaccinated.
- The vaccine is effective and provides very good protection against the disease. There are occasional cases of vaccinated people becoming ill, but then it is usually a milder illness.
Anyone who has symptoms should contact health care by phone in the first instance, she emphasizes.
- It is very important that you receive instructions on what to do before you seek care physically. Otherwise, the risk is that you expose others to the infection.
