A MEDIEVAL virus that can cause deadly side effects in some children is surging through holiday hotspots, health officials have warned.
Almost 1,000 measles cases were reported across 29 European countries in April alone, warned the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Health authorities have warned Brits about measles cases in European holiday spots[/caption]
Cases were highest in destinations popular with UK travellers, such as France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Romania.
It comes after British health authorities sounded the alarm over a potential surge of measles in England, warning families may bring back the contagious disease after travel abroad this summer.
They urged families to make sure their kids are up to date with their vaccines before going on holiday – taking special care they’ve received two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.
A dip in childhood vaccinations – including the jab that protects against measles – in England leaves more children at risk of disease, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) explained.
“Measles is an acute, highly contagious viral disease capable of causing epidemics,” the ECDC wrote in its report.
“It is a serious disease that can lead to complications and even death.”
The infection starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash and white spots in the mouth a few days later.
In some cases, the virus can lead to life-threatening complications, like brain inflammation and pneumonia.
The best way to protect yourself from getting ill is getting the MMR vaccine.
But if you haven’t received the jab, it’s almost 100 per cent likely you’ll get infected if you come in contact with someone with measles, according to the ECDC.
In April 2025, 975 measles cases were reported by 18 EU countries, the ECDC said.
“The highest case counts were reported by Romania (402), France (186), Netherlands (111), Belgium (100) and Spain (52),” it wrote.
The health watchdog noted that case numbers for April were lower than those reported in March – but it said a number of measles outbreaks have been reported in the region in the past year.
Countries such as Italy have also seen high case numbers – with 85 reported in March and 36 in April.
Between May 2024 and April 2025, 30 European countries reported a total of 22,481 cases of measles.
Almost half (44 per cent) occurred in children under the age of five, while 29 per cent occurred in people aged 15 and over.
“The highest notification rates were observed in infants under one year of age and children aged one to four years,” the ECDC wrote.
Health authorities were given information about people’s vaccination status for 20,669 cases of the cases reported in the last 12 months.
Eighty-five per cent of them occurred in unvaccinated patients and another 9 per cent occurred in people with just one dose of the MMR jab.
Among the 7,194 cases reported in children aged one to four, 84 per cent were unvaccinated and 10 per cent had one dose of a measles-containing vaccine.
The main symptoms of measles
MEASLES is highly contagious and can cause serious problems in some people.
The infection usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later.
The first signs include:
- A high temperature
- A runny or blocked nose
- Sneezing
- A cough
- Red, sore, watery eyes
Small white spots may then appear inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips.
A rash tends to come next. This usually starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.
The spots are sometimes raised and join together to form blotchy patches. They are not normally itchy.
The rash looks brown or red on white skin. It may be harder to see on darker skin.
Complications are rare, but measles can lead to pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, seizures, and sometimes death.
Source: NHS
The first MMR vaccine is offered to infants when they turn one year old and the second dose to pre-school children when they are around three years and four months old.
“Infants under one year are particularly vulnerable to measles and its complications,” the ECDC wrote.
“They are best protected by a high level of herd immunity.”
Fourteen deaths as a result of measles were reported to ECDC during the 12-month period – twelve of these in Romania and two in France.
There were 127,350 cases of measles in Europe last year, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This was double the amount reported in 2023 and the highest number since 1997.
And UKHSA said that so far this year, outbreaks have been documented in France, Italy, Spain and Germany.
The health watchdog said it was “concerned that more outbreaks may occur again on a larger scale this summer as families with unvaccinated children and adults travel to countries where there are outbreaks”.
“Measles is one of the most highly infectious diseases and spreads rapidly among those who are unvaccinated,” it stressed.
Since the start of the year, there have been 420 confirmed infections in England, 109 of these in April and 86 in May – though UKHSA said the figures for last month are likely to be an underestimate.
Dr Vanessa Saliba, a consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, issued a warning to Brits for the summer: “It’s essential that everyone, particularly parents of young children, check all family members are up to date with 2 MMR doses, especially if you are travelling this summer for holidays or visiting family.
“Measles cases are picking up again in England and outbreaks are happening in Europe and many countries with close links to the UK.
