Measles diagnosis delays are down to unfamiliarity of some health professionals with it's symptoms

The unfamiliarity of some health professionals with measles may have resulted in delays in identifying cases during a recent outbreak of the infectious disease.

The preliminary findings of an investigation into the outbreak said the introduction of the MMR vaccine in Ireland in 1988 combined with improvements in measles control had contributed to a lack of familiarity with measles among doctors.

“In this outbreak, diagnostic delay occurred for some of the early cases due to lack of recognition,” the report stated.