Top

International Journal of Public Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-09-2016 | Review

Epidemiology and economic burden of measles, mumps, pertussis, and varicella in Germany: a systematic review

Authors: Oliver Damm, Julian Witte, Stefanie Wetzka, Christine Prosser, Sebastian Braun, Robert Welte, Wolfgang Greiner

Published in: International Journal of Public Health | Issue 7/2016

Abstract

Objectives

Despite the availability of vaccines and the existence of public vaccination recommendations, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases still cause public health debate. The objective of this systematic review was to provide an overview of the current epidemiology and economic burden of measles, mumps, pertussis, and varicella in Germany.

Methods

We systematically reviewed studies published since 2000. The literature search was conducted using PubMed and EMBASE. Also, we used German notification data to give an up-to-date overview of the epidemiology of the four diseases under consideration.

Results

Thirty-six studies were included in our review. Results suggest that there is still considerable morbidity due to childhood diseases in Germany. Studies providing cost estimates are scarce. Comparative analyses of different data sources (notification data vs. claims data) revealed a potential underestimation of incidence estimates when using notification data. Furthermore, several studies showed regional differences in incidence of some of the diseases under consideration.

Conclusions

Our findings underline the need for improved vaccination and communication strategies targeting all susceptible age and risk groups on a national and local level.

Available only for authorised users

Arenz S, Fischer R, Wildner M (2009) Measles outbreak in Germany: clinical presentation and outcome of children hospitalized for measles in 2006. Pediatr Infect Dis J 28:1030–1032CrossRefPubMed

Banz K, Wagenpfeil S, Neiss A, Hammerschmidt T, Wutzler P (2004) The burden of varicella in Germany: potential risks and economic impact. Eur J Health Econ 5:46–53CrossRefPubMed

Baptista P, Magalhães V, Rodrigues L (2009) The role of adults in household outbreaks of pertussis. Int J Infect Dis 14:e111–e114CrossRefPubMed

Baxter R, Tran TN, Ray P, Lewis E, Fireman B, Black S, Shinefield HR, Coplan PM, Saddier P (2014) Impact of vaccination on the epidemiology of varicella: 1995–2009. Pediatrics 134:24–30CrossRefPubMed

Bisgard KM, Pascual FB, Ehresmann KR, Miller CA, Cianfrini C, Jennings CE, Rebmann CA, Gabel J, Schauer SL, Lett SM (2004) Infant pertussis. Who was the source? Pediatr Infect Dis J 23:985–989CrossRefPubMed

Carabin H, Edmunds WJ, Glydmark M, Beutels P, Lévy-Bruhl D, Salo H, Griffiths UK (2003) The cost of measles in industrialised countries. Vaccine 21:4167–4177CrossRefPubMed

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) (1999) Ten great public health achievements United States, 1900–1999. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 48:241–243

Crowcroft NS, Pebody RG (2006) Seminar: recent developments in pertussis. Lancet 367:1926–1936CrossRefPubMed

Declich S, Carter AO (1994) Public health surveillance: historical origins, methods and evaluation. Bull World Health Organ 72:285–304PubMedPubMedCentral

Devleesschauwer B, Havelaar AH, Maertens de Noordhout C, Haagsma JA, Praet N, Dorny N, Duchateau L, Torgerson PR, Van Oyen H, Speybroeck N (2014) Calculating disability-adjusted life years to quantify burden of disease. Int J Public Health 59:565–569CrossRefPubMed

Gibbons CL, Mangen MJ, Plass D, Havelaar AH, Brooke RJ, Kramarz P, Peterson KL, Stuurman AL, Cassini A, Fèvre EM, Kretzschmar ME, Burden of Communicable diseases in Europe consortium (2014) Measuring underreporting and under-ascertainment in infectious disease datasets: a comparison of methods. BMC Public Health 14:147CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Gillesberg Lassen S, Schuster M, Stemmler M, Steinmüller A, Matysiak-Klose D, Mankertz A, Santibanez S, Wichmann O, Falkenhorst G (2014) Measles outbreak spreading from the community to an anthroposophic school, Berlin, 2011. Epidemiol Infect 142:789–796CrossRefPubMed

Grote V, von Kries R, Springer W, Hammersen G, Kreth HW, Liese J (2007) Varicella-related deaths in children and adolescents—Germany 2003–2004. Acta Paediatr 97:187–192CrossRefPubMed

Hegasy G, Kätzner K, Helle M, Mankertz A, Baumgarte S, Wille A, Fell G (2012) Description of measles D4-Hamburg outbreak in Hamburg, Germany, December 2008 to June 2009, which disproportionally affected a local Roma community. Euro Surveill 17. [pii]:20194

Hellenbrand W, Beier D, Jensen E, Littmann M, Meyer C, Oppermann H, Wirsing von König CH, Reiter S (2009) The epidemiology of pertussis in Germany: past and present. BMC Infect Dis 9:22CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Jones SG, Coulter S, Conner W (2013) Using administrative medical claims data to supplement state disease registry systems for reporting zoonotic infections. J Am Med Inform Assoc 20:193–198CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Juretzko P, Fabian-Marx T, Haastert B, Giani G, von Kries R, Wirsing von König CH (2001) Pertussis in Germany: regional differences in management and vaccination status of hospitalized cases. Epidemiol Infect 127:63–71CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Klein S, Schöneberg I, Krause G (2012) Vom Zwang zur Pockenschutzimpfung zum Nationalen Impfplan. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 55:1512–1523CrossRefPubMed

Liese JG, Renner C, Stojanov S, Belohradsky BH, Munich Vaccine Study Group (2003) Clinical and epidemiological picture of B pertussis and B parapertussis infections after introduction of acellular pertussis vaccines. Arch Dis Child 88:684–687CrossRefPubMed

Liese JG, Grote V, Rosenfeld E, Fischer R, Belohradsky BH, Kries RV, ESPED Varicella Study Group (2008) The burden of varicella complications before the introduction of routine varicella vaccination in Germany. Pediatr Infect Dis J 27:119–124CrossRefPubMed

MacDonald PDM (2012) Methods of field epidemiology. Jones & Bartlett Learning, Burlington

Mankertz A, Mihneva Z, Gold H, Baumgarte S, Baillot A, Helble R, Roggendorf H, Bosevska G, Nedeljkovic J, Makowa A, Hutse V, Holzmann H, Aberle SW, Cordey S, Necula G, Mentis A, Korukluoğlu G, Carr M, Brown KE, Hübschen JM, Muller CP, Mulders MN, Santibanez S (2011) Spread of measles virus D4-Hamburg, Europe, 2008-2011. Emerg Infect Dis 17:1396–1401CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Marin M, Meissner HC, Seward JF (2008) Varicella prevention in the United States: a review of successes and challenges. Pediatrics 122:e744–e751CrossRefPubMed

McGuiness CB, Hill J, Fonseca E, Hess G, Hitchcock W, Krishnarajah G (2013) The disease burden of pertussis in adults 50 years old and older in the United States: a retrospective study. BMC Infect Dis 13:32CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Mette A, Reuss AM, Feig M, Kappelmayer L, Siedler A, Eckmanns T, Poggensee G (2011) Under-reporting of measles—an evaluation based on data from North Rhine-Westphalia. Dtsch Arztebl Int 108:191–196PubMedPubMedCentral

Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG (2009) Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. David Moher and colleagues introduce PRISMA, an update of the QUOROM guidelines for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. BMJ 339:332–336CrossRef

Murray CJL (1994) Quantifying the burden of disease: the technical basis for disability-adjusted life years. Bull World Health Organ 72:429–445PubMedPubMedCentral

Murray CJL, Ezzati M, Flaxman AD, Lim S, Lozano R, Michaud C, Naghavi M, Salomon JA, Shibuya K, Vos T, Wikler D, Lopez AD (2012) GBD 2010: design, definitions, and metrics. Lancet 380:2063–2066CrossRefPubMed

Muscat M (2011) Who gets measles in Europe? J Infect Dis 204:353–365CrossRef

Muscat M, Bang H, Wohlfahrt J, Gilsmann S, Mølbak K, Measles in Europe: An epidemiological assessment (2009) Measles in Europe: an epidemiological assessment. Lancet 373:383–389CrossRefPubMed

Muscat M, Shefer A, Ben Mamou M, Spataru R, Jankovic D, Deshevoy S, Butler R, Pfeifer D (2014) The state of measles and rubella in the WHO European Region, 2013. Clin Microbiol Infect 20:12–18CrossRefPubMed

Nitsch-Osuch A, Korzeniewski K, Kuchar E, Zielonka T, Życińska K, Wardyn K (2013) Epidemiological and immunological reasons for pertussis vaccination in adolescents and adults. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 187:99–103CrossRefPubMed

Oleckno WA (2008) Epidemiology: concepts and methods. Waveland Press, Long Grove

Orenstein WA (1999) Pertussis in adults: epidemiology, signs, symptoms, and implications for vaccination. Clin Infect Dis 28:147–150CrossRef

Otto W, Mankertz A, Santibanez S, Saygili H, Wenzel J, Jilg W, Wieland W, Borgmann S (2010) Ongoing outbreak of mumps affecting adolescents and young adults in Bavaria, Germany. Euro Surveill 15. [pii]:19748

Plass D, Mangen MJ, Kraemer A, Pinheiro P, Gilsdorf A, Krause G, Gibbons CL, Van Lier A, McDonald SA, Brooke RJ, Kramarz P, Cassini A, Kretzschmar ME (2014) The disease burden of hepatitis B, influenza, measles and salmonellosis in Germany: first results of the Burden of Communicable Diseases in Europe Study. Epidemiol Infect 142:2024–2035CrossRefPubMed

Riffelmann M, Littmann M, Hülsse C, O’Brien J, Wirsing von König CH (2006) Pertussis: incidence, symptoms and costs. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 131:2829–2834CrossRefPubMed

RKI (2014) Empfehlungen der Ständigen Impfkommission (STIKO) am Robert Koch-Institut. Epidemiol Bull 34:305–340

RKI (2015a) Falldefinitionen des Robert Koch-Instituts zur Übermittlung von Erkrankungs- oder Todesfällen und Nachweisen von Krankheitserregern, Ausgabe 2015. http://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/IfSG/Falldefinition/falldefinition_node.html. Accessed 4 Apr 2016

RKI (2015b) Überblick über die Epidemiologie der Masern in 2014 und aktuelle Situation in 2015 in Deutschland. Epidemiol Bull 10:69–82

Roggendorf H, Santibanez S, Mankertz A, van Treeck U, Roggendorf M (2012) Two consecutive measles outbreaks with genotypes D8 and D4 in two mainly unvaccinated communities in Germany. Med Microbiol Immunol 201:349–355CrossRefPubMed

Rothstein E, Edwards K (2005) Health burden of pertussis in adolescents and adults. Pediatr Infect Dis J 24:44–47CrossRef

Roush SW (2011) Chapter 19: Enhancing surveillance. In: Manual for the surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/. Accessed 4 Apr 2016

Roush SW, Murphy TV (2007) Historical comparisons of morbidity and mortality for vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States. JAMA 298:2155–2163CrossRefPubMed

Siedler A, Arndt U (2010) Impact of the routine varicella vaccination programme on varicella epidemiology in Germany. Euro Surveill 15. [pii]:19530

Siedler A, Dettmann M (2014) Hospitalization with varicella and shingles before and after introduction of childhood varicella vaccination in Germany. Hum Vaccin Immunother 10:3594–3600CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Siedler A, Leitmeyer K (2004) Die Bedeutung von Sentinels für die Implementierung und Evaluation von Impfstrategien. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 47:1136–1143CrossRefPubMed

Siedler A, Tischer A, MankertzA Santibanez S (2006) Two outbreaks of measles in Germany 2005. Euro Surveill 11:131–134PubMed

Siedler A, Gruber A, Mankertz A (2013a) Measles surveillance in Germany: from sentinel to mandatory surveillance. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 56:1321–1328CrossRefPubMed

Siedler A, Hecht J, Rieck T, Tolksdorf K, Hengel H (2013b) Varicella vaccination in Germany: a provisional appraisal in the context of MMR vaccination. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 56:1313–1320CrossRefPubMed

Sin MA, Zenke R, Rönckendorf R, Littmann M, Jorgensen P, Hellenbrand W (2009) Pertussis outbreak in primary and secondary schools in Ludwigslust, Germany demonstrating the role of waning immunity. Pediatr Infect Dis J 28:242–244CrossRefPubMed

Spackova M, Muehlen M, Siedler A (2010) Complications of varicella after implementation of routine childhood varicella vaccination in Germany. Pediatr Infect Dis J 29:884–886CrossRefPubMed

Stojanov S, Liese J, Belohradsky B (2000) Hospitalization and complications in children under 2 years of age with Bordetella pertussis infection. Infection 28:106–110CrossRefPubMed

Streng A, Grote V, Carr D, Hagemann C, Liese JG (2013) Varicella routine vaccination and the effects on varicella epidemiology—results from the Bavarian Varicella Surveillance Project (BaVariPro), 2006–2011. BMC Infect Dis 13:303CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Takla A, Wichmann O, Klinc C, Hautmann W, Rieck T, Koch J (2013) Mumps epidemiology in Germany 2007–2011. Euro Surveill 18. [pii]:20557

Takla A, Wichmann O, Rieck T, Matysiak-Klose D (2014) Measles incidence and reporting trends in Germany, 2007–2011. Bull World Health Organ 92:742–749CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Tischer A, Siedler A, Rasch G (2001) Surveillance of measles in Germany. Gesundheitswesen 63:703–709CrossRefPubMed

Tischer A, Siedler A, Santibanez S, Grüber A, Rasch G (2002) Are measles still a problem in Germany? Results of a nation-wide laboratory-based sentinel. Monatsschrift fur Kinderheilkunde 150:1077–1086CrossRef

Voigt K, King NB (2014) Disability weights in the global burden of disease 2010 study; two steps forward, one step back? Bull World Health Organ 92:226–228CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Wadl M, Siedler A, Krämer W, Haindl ME, Gebrande S, Krenn-Lanzl I, Mankertz A, Hautmann W (2011) Measles transmission from an anthroposophic community to the general population, Germany 2008. BMC Public Health 11:474CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Wagenpfeil S, Neiss A, Banz K, Wutzler P (2004) Empirical data on the varicella situation in Germany for vaccination decisions. Clin Microbiol Infec 10:425–430CrossRef

WHO (2010) Renewed commitment to elimination of measles and rubella and prevention of congenital rubella syndrome by 2015 and sustained support for polio-free status in the WHO European Region. (http://www.who.int/immunization/sage/3_Resolution_EURO_RC60_eRes12.pdf). Accessed 11 June 2015

Wichmann O, Hellenbrand W, Sagebiel D, Santibanez S, Ahlemeyer G, Vogt G, Siedler A, van Treeck U (2007) Large measles outbreak at a German public school, 2006. Pediatr Infect Dis J 26:782–786CrossRefPubMed

Wichmann O, Siedler A, Sagebiel D, Hellenbrand W, Santibanez S, Mankertz A, Vogt G, Uv Treeck, Krause G (2009) Further efforts needed to achieve measles elimination in Germany: results of an outbreak investigation. Bull World Health Organ 87:108–115CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Ziebold C, von Kries R, Lang R, Weigl J, Schmitt HJ (2001) Severe complications of varicella in previously healthy children in Germany: a 1-year survey. Pediatrics 108:E79CrossRefPubMed

Title: Epidemiology and economic burden of measles, mumps, pertussis, and varicella in Germany: a systematic review
Authors: Oliver Damm
Julian Witte
Stefanie Wetzka
Christine Prosser
Sebastian Braun
Robert Welte
Wolfgang Greiner
Publication date: 01-09-2016
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Published in: International Journal of Public Health / Issue 7/2016
Print ISSN: 1661-8556
Electronic ISSN: 1661-8564
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-016-0842-8

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Epidemiology and economic burden of measles, mumps, pertussis, and varicella in Germany: a systematic review

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 7/2016

See what we say: using concept mapping to visualize Latino immigrant’s strategies for health interventions

Investigating mortality heterogeneity among neighbourhoods of a highly industrialised Italian city: a meta-regression approach

Age-specific cancer mortality trends in 16 countries

Distress and unemployment: the related economic and noneconomic factors in a sample of unemployed adults

Changes in disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) at birth between 2000 and 2010 across Japanese prefectures

The great recession, youth unemployment and inequalities in psychological health complaints in adolescents: a multilevel study in 31 countries