The total number of rubella patients in 2018 is expected to top 2,000 for the first time in nearly five years
Rubella infections are spreading across Japan, raising concern that a potentially long-term epidemic could sap travel demand ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
With the total number of rubella patients in 2018 expected to top 2,000 for the first time in nearly five years, experts are stressing the importance of taking antibody tests and vaccinations. The spread is mainly because many men in their 30s and older are unvaccinated.
When the rubella outbreak began in the week between July 23 and 29 in Japan, only 19 patients were reported in five prefectures including Tokyo, Chiba and Aichi, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
But the weekly number of rubella patients surged to 154 in the period between October 29 and November 4 in 26 prefectures with notable rises in the Kansai region in the country’s west.
The number exceeded 100 for the ninth consecutive week, already bringing the overall figure for patients so far this year to at least 1,884, the institute said.
In late October, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention raised its alert level for the rubella outbreak in Japan to Level 2, the second highest of 3 levels, warning that pregnant women should not travel to the country unless protected against the disease through vaccination or previous infection.
