May 2024

In January of this year, sporadic measles infections occurred in Tyrol – since then, 86 measles infections have been recorded in the EMS. One of the main characteristics of this highly contagious viral infection is the maculopapular exanthema, which typically spreads from the face across the entire body.

Clinically, this exanthema cannot always be clearly distinguished from a parvovirus infection (erythema infectiosum). Since we have observed a significant increase in these infections in recent months, we urgently recommend clarifying these exanthemas using PCR diagnostics.

Parvovirus infections often occur in the first years of life and heal without complications after a few days. However, since this virus transiently inhibits erythropoiesis, it can lead to complications in patients with anemia. Primary infections during pregnancy are also problematic. In these cases, parvovirus infections can lead to hydrops fetalis and fetal anemia in the unborn child, which may need to be treated with intrauterine transfusion.

Further epidemiological trends: Compared to the previous month of April, we see a decrease in norovirus and rhinovirus infections. Bordetella pertussis infections continue to be detected at high levels, alongside parvovirus infections.