ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A measles outbreak in a facility housing Old World nonhuman primates developed over a 2-month period in 1996, providing an opportunity to study the epidemiology of this highly infectious disease in an animal-handling setting. METHODS: Serum and urine specimens were collected from monkeys housed in the room where the initial measles cases were identified, other monkeys with suspicious measles-like signs, and employees working in the affected areas. Serum specimens were tested for measles virus-specific IgG and IgM antibodies, and urine specimens were tested for measles virus by virus isolation or reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: A total of 94 monkeys in two separate facilities had evidence of an acute measles infection. The outbreak was caused by a wild-type virus that had been associated with recent human cases of acute measles in the United States; however, an investigation was unable to identify the original source of the outbreak. Quarantine and massive vaccination helped to control further spread of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Results emphasize the value of having a measles control plan in place that includes a preventive measles vaccination program involving human and nonhuman primates to decrease the likelihood of a facility outbreak.
Subject(s)
Cercopithecidae , Measles/veterinary , Monkey Diseases/virology , Animals , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin M/blood , Infection Control , Macaca fascicularis , Macaca mulatta , Macaca nemestrina , Measles/prevention & control , Measles/transmission , Measles Vaccine , Measles virus/genetics , Measles virus/immunology , Measles virus/isolation & purification , Medical Laboratory Personnel , Monkey Diseases/prevention & control , Quarantine , RNA, Viral/chemistry , Sequence Analysis, RNA , Urine/virologyABSTRACT
Analysis of urine specimens by using reverse transcriptase-PCR was evaluated as a rapid assay to identify individuals infected with measles virus. For the study, daily urine samples were obtained from either 15-month-old children or young adults following measles immunization. Overall, measles virus RNA was detected in 10 of 12 children during the 2-week sampling period. In some cases, measles virus RNA was detected as early as 1 day or as late as 14 days after vaccination. Measles virus RNA was also detected in the urine samples from all four of the young adults between 1 and 13 days after vaccination. This assay will enable continued studies of the shedding and transmission of measles virus and, it is hoped, will provide a rapid means to identify measles infection, especially in mild or asymptomatic cases.
