A new study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology found that approximately 7% of measles patients who received medical care were initially misdiagnosed, with an average delay of just over four days before receiving an accurate diagnosis. Researchers analyzed over 4,600 measles cases in the United States between 2001 and 2023 to reach these findings. Early detection is critical because measles is highly contagious, and diagnostic delays allow the virus to spread further when patients visit waiting rooms and clinics without proper precautions in place.
The study identified that outpatient settings such as doctor’s offices accounted for 81% of misdiagnosed cases, while emergency departments represented 14% and hospital inpatient settings only 3.9%. Misdiagnosis was more common in children under 2 years old and in patients who received respiratory antibiotics. Researchers attributed some missed diagnoses to clinicians being unfamiliar with measles, since vaccination campaigns had reduced cases dramatically for many years. Measles can cause serious complications including death, permanent brain damage, immune system compromise, and sensory impairment.
Source: Read the full story at CIDRAP
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