Maldivian capital confirms measles case

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has confirmed a measles case in the Maldivian capital.

In a statement on Thursday, HPA said a Maldivian citizen tested positive for measles from the greater Male’ area on Tuesday.

According to HPA, investigations showed the patient caught measles from overseas.

HPA said the patient had taken two doses of the measles vaccine.

The patient is being treated in a hospital, and is showing signs of recovery, said the agency.

HPA said the patient had travelled during the contagious period, and that authorities were tracing the people they made contact with.

 Contacts who have not received two doses of the measles vaccine are being administered the shots.

Getting two shots of the measles vaccine reduces the chance of infection by 97 percent. However, given the highly contagious nature of the disease, people who make direct contact are still at risk of contracting the disease.

Maldives had eradicated measles in 2017.

Cases of measles were reported from Addu in January 2020, and one case was reported from the same city back in April.