Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) revealed Monday that tests are being conducted to confirm a suspected second case of Measles in Maldives.
According to local media Mihaaru, an IGMH spokesperson stated that a 17-year-old boy was brought in on Sunday evening.
It is not clear if the boy was vaccinated for Measles.
On January 9, Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced that Measles was suspected to have surfaced in Maldives. The agency later confirmed that a 3-year-old child who was not administered the complete dose of required vaccination was tested positive.
Following treatment at IGMH and having kept the child under observation until the contagious period passed, the child's condition improved and has now been discharged.
Maldives was declared measles free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in June 2017. At the time, Maldives and Bhutan became the first two countries in South Asia to eradicate the disease before 2020.
HPA urged to administer vaccinations to protect against the disease, and stressed the importance of completing the full dosage.
Measles is highly contagious and can spread through coughing and sneezing. While the most well-known symptom of the disease is a 'blotchy rash', other indicators include high fever, runny nose, cough, eye discharge and white spots inside the mouth. If left untreated, measles can be fatal.
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