Measles-containing vaccination rates in southern Alberta.

BACKGROUND: Southern Alberta is home to many unique homogeneous communities that typically educate their children in private schools. A number of these communities do not promote immunization as a preventive public health measure, although the reasons behind this vary. People within these communities keep themselves somewhat secluded from other populations and thus do not benefit from overall herd immunity. This has led to frequent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in private schools affiliated with these homogeneous religious communities. OBJECTIVE: To report on low immunization rates of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and MMR-varicella in southern Alberta communities and schools and to compare the epidemiology of immunization rates in certain vulnerable communities with those of same-age cohorts in South Zone communities. METHODS: The analysis includes immunization data at the individual level submitted to the provincial immunization repository, Immunization and Adverse Reactions to Immunization, and the Alberta Health Services Meditech module between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2013. RESULTS: Heterogeneity of immunization status was found among communities and among schools. The status of two year old children up to date on immunizations ranged from 46.6% in Fort Macleod to 71.9% in Oyen, with a mean of 57.3 children in every 100 up to date. By age seven, the mean percentage of immunized children in southern Alberta was 77.6%, ranging from 57.8% in Picture Butte to 94.6% in Oyen. Immunization status among schools ranged from 17% to 100%, with a mean of 89.3% of children fully immunized and a median of 91% immunized. CONCLUSION: There is heterogeneity of immunization uptake for childhood measles-containing vaccine by community and by school in southern Alberta. This study highlights that the location of the school may not align with geographic community as it pertains to immunization rates. Analysis of childhood immunization data at both community and school level is important in understanding the risks of vaccine-preventable illness spread in a given geographic region, such as Alberta South Zone. Data from this study can be used to inform specific interventions required to improve immunization coverage rates in these unique homogeneous cultural communities and their respective schools, and to decrease the risk of measles transmission in Southern Alberta.

Outbreak of measles in a non-immunizing population, Alberta 2013.

BACKGROUND: An outbreak of measles was declared in southern Alberta on October 18, 2013, after a case had been reported to the local public health unit in a non-immunized teenager with recent travel to the Netherlands. The teenager had had contact with a large number of unimmunized people while infectious; therefore, the risk of spread was high. The potential for an outbreak of measles in this area had been identified by the lead Medical Officer of Health for South Zone, and planning for an outbreak had begun in August 2013. METHODS: Several public health measures were implemented to control the outbreak: mass immunization clinics; an outbreak dose of measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine for infants 6-12 months old; communication within the affected and surrounding communities; a dedicated measles hotline; a Mobile Measles Assessment Team; and a Measles Assessment Centre. RESULTS: A total of 42 confirmed cases were identified during the outbreak between October 16 and November 25. Just over half the cases were male (52.4%). The average age was 12 (range < 1 to 24 years) and the median age 13 years. There was one hospitalization, and no deaths occurred. All cases were unimmunized. Cases were located in five communities immediately surrounding Lethbridge. All but two cases were epidemiologically linked within 10 households. CONCLUSION: The planning that occurred before the outbreak was essential in containing the outbreak to 10 households. To prevent future outbreaks of measles, exploring strategies for increasing immunization coverage rates in unimmunized populations is essential. When immunization acceptance is not uniform, other public health strategies should be planned for and implemented in order to prevent additional spread.

A ras-related gene from the lower eukaryote Dictyostelium that is highly conserved relative to the human rap genes.

The cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum contains two ras genes, DdrasG and Ddras that are differentially expressed during development. We have characterized a gene that hybridized to both Ddras and DdrasG under low, but not under high stringency conditions. The deduced amino acid sequence is highly conserved with respect to the human rap (Krev-1, smg21) proteins and the corresponding gene has been designated Ddrap1. The Ddrap1 gene is expressed at all stages during development but is expressed maximally during the aggregation and culmination periods when the expression of Ddras and DdrasG is declining. During vegetative growth and early development Ddrap1 cDNA hybridizes to a single mRNA of 1.1 kb. As development progresses the level of this mRNA declines and messages of 1.0 and 1.3 kb appear.