164 cases of measles have been recorded in Uzbekistan year-to-date, the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health said in a statement.

These cases were identified after blood tests in a virology laboratory taken from 306 patients with suspected measles.

Reportedly, measles infection mainly occurs after contact with people arriving from abroad.

The epidemiological situation with measles in our country is under control. Persons who have been in contact with persons with suspected measles are covered by preventive vaccination based on epidemiological recommendation, the statement added.

The Committee, citing the World Health Organization, reported that the epidemiological situation for measles in the world and the European region worsened in 2023 due to people who refused to be vaccinated.

At the time of publication, 23 thousand cases of measles were registered in Ukraine, 4,954 in Serbia, 2,576 in France, 2,476 in Greece, 2,020 in Italy, 1,396 in Russia, and 1,128 in Georgia.

Afghanistan has 2,105 cases in 2023, Tajikistan has over 300, and Kazakhstan has 169 cases.

At the end of April, WHO reported that since the beginning of the year, cases of measles have been reported in 17 countries of the WHO European Region (which includes Uzbekistan). By the end of February, 900 cases were officially reported, more than in all of 2022.

The WHO emphasized that the authorities of all countries, including those in which the elimination of endemic transmission of measles had been confirmed, must remain vigilant regarding this highly contagious disease.