The Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention would like to inform the general public of two outbreaks of infectious diseases it is currently investigating, including an outbreak of Scarlet Fever affecting five children at a Primary School in Gozo.

One of these is an outbreak of Rubella involving three persons, and which has been confirmed by laboratory tests. The three cases, did not have a history of vaccination and are aged between 23 and 28 years.

The World Health Organisation advises that following any confirmed outbreak of Rubella, surveillance should be conducted to identify suspected Congenital Rubella syndrome cases in infants 0-11 months of age, until nine months after the end of the outbreak.

The Department is therefore enhancing the surveillance of Rubella and Congenital Rubella syndrome to identify any suspected cases and has informed all the health care practitioners who may come across such cases of this outbreak.

The other outbreak is that of Scarlet Fever affecting five children who attend a primary school here in Gozo.

The Department, in accordance with international practices has recommended that children attending this class are excluded from school for the coming 7 to 10 days until results of the tests that are to be performed are available in order to limit the possible spread of the outbreak.

All parents of the class mates have been contacted and there is no need for any other measures in the rest of the school.

In both instances, the department would like to reassure the general public that all the necessary measures are being taken to limit the spread of these outbreaks and that there is no need for alarm.

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