Over 126 children younger than 7 years of age developed Measles in Gauteng after visiting various entertainment parks in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces over the March 2023 school holidays. These cases represented 56% of the visitors in this age group on the days in question. Infected children residing in Limpopo and Mpumalanga and visited the parks accounted for 36% and 16% respectively. No older individuals were affected. The causative agent was determined to be a member of the viral genus Morbillivirus in the Paramyxoviridae family. The disease is known to spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions of the infected children. 4.1. Based only the information given, can you classify this outbreak as an endemic to South Africa? Why or why not? 4.2. As an epidemiologist, illustrate how would you determine which parks in the provinces had accounted for more infections. 4.3. Outline the factors that might have accounted for the fact that no older children or adults developed disease? 4.4. Describe actions that could be taken by the park operators to reduce the chance of future measles outbreaks. 4.5. Calculate the number of children from Gauteng who visited the parks in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, if the attack rate of 126 children who got sick accounted for 56% of the children from Gauteng.
QUESTION 4 [16]
Over 126 children younger than 7 years of age developed Measles in Gauteng after visiting
various entertainment parks in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces over the March 2023
school holidays. These cases represented 56% of the visitors in this age group on the days in
question. Infected children residing in Limpopo and Mpumalanga and visited the parks
accounted for 36% and 16% respectively. No older individuals were affected. The causative
agent was determined to be a member of the viral genus Morbillivirus in the Paramyxoviridae
family. The disease is known to spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or
direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions of the infected children.
4.1. Based only the information given, can you classify this outbreak as an endemic to South
Africa? Why or why not?
4.2. As an epidemiologist, illustrate how would you determine which parks in the provinces had
accounted for more infections.
4.3. Outline the factors that might have accounted for the fact that no older children or adults
developed disease?
4.4. Describe actions that could be taken by the park operators to reduce the chance of future
measles outbreaks.
4.5. Calculate the number of children from Gauteng who visited the parks in Limpopo and
Mpumalanga provinces, if the attack rate of 126 children who got sick accounted for
56% of the children from Gauteng.
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