SEROPREVALENCE OF MEASLES ANTIBODIES IN THE CITY OF BELÉM, PARÁ, BRAZIL (2016 - 2018) AND THE REINTRODUCTION OF THE VIRUS IN 2018

Abstract

Considered to be a global disease due to its ability to spread to different countries, measles is an immunopreventable disease that is compulsorily notifiable and affects all age groups. The National Immunization Program (PNI) was created in 1973 and in 1992 the National Measles Control and Elimination Plan was launched, along with the implementation of the vaccine, a strategy that resulted in the control of those affected by the disease in the Americas. In 2016, Brazil was certified as having eliminated the circulation of the virus. However, the reintroduction of the virus in the country along with reasons that led to vaccination failures is what caused outbreaks of the disease in several cities, including Belém- PA, and led Brazil to lose certification in 2019. This study analyzed the seroprevalence of antibodies against the measles virus in the population of Belém-PA between the ages of 15 and 39, relating it to the reintroduction of the virus and highlighting the importance of the vaccine. This was a retrospective, descriptive analysis with a seroepidemiological approach of a population from the project "Seroepidemiological survey of measles and rubella in the municipalities of Belém and Ananindeua, Pará, Brazil, 2016 to 2018", using only data referring to measles and the analysis of the reintroduction of the virus in the population that contracted the disease in the city of Belém from 2018 to 2021. The reintroduction data was provided by the Belém Municipal Health Department. The population of Belém showed 83.6% seropositivity to the measles virus, with males being the most susceptible with 54.8% reactivity to serology, detecting a risk of outbreaks of the virus. The first cases appeared in 2018 and will spread until 2021. The highest numbers of cases were in 2020, with males prevailing during the period from 2018 to 2021 with 55.5%, where the majority were unvaccinated. The administrative district with the most cases was the Guamá Administrative District - DAGUA, with 33.9%. Six deaths were detected, all in children under the age of one. The conclusion is that the virus has been reintroduced in Belém, as predicted by the seroepidemiological survey, and that convincing people to accept the vaccine needs to be worked on.