Latvia’s measles patient also travelled to Estonia / Article

The patient arrived in Latvia from Moscow on 17 April and travelled on another international bus to the Estonian capital on 21 April.

The Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) was initially unable to obtain a full passenger list for the Moscow bus, so passengers were invited to respond via the media. For the Estonian bus, the list was obtained more quickly.

“Yesterday we also contacted the patient. We also identified the close contacts. Accordingly, an epidemiological investigation has also been launched,” said Ilze Ūdre, Head of the SPKC Communication Department.

“On 21 April, the patient travelled on the Riga-Tallinn bus, which is also an international route. Therefore, we received this information through our Estonian colleagues and we also received information about this bus[…] we identified the contacts who were on the Riga-Tallinn route. So recommendations have been made,” said Ūdre.

On Friday, 2 May, the passenger list for the Moscow bus was also received.

Of the 24 passengers on the Moscow-Riga bus, 10 were also Latvian citizens, and the SPKC has passed on the information of the other citizens to the relevant countries.

“We work with Latvian citizens. For the other passengers, we pass on the information to the competent authorities of the respective country,” Ūdre said.

Overall, the measles situation in Latvia has been relatively good in recent years. Last year, no cases were recorded, in 2023 – one. But the last outbreak was recorded in 2018 with 25 cases. Nevertheless, it is not as if there are no risks at all, as some outbreaks have been recorded in other EU countries.

“Here you have to open your child’s vaccination passport, see if all the vaccinations have really been given. We also have the Song Festival coming up. In the context of this event, we will also encourage parents to check the vaccination status of their children,” urged the SPKC spokesperson.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection, spread through the air and by direct contact. Anyone who has not been vaccinated or has not been ill before and comes into contact with an infected person or is in a room where the person has been in the last two hours can get the disease.

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