{
  "abstract": "Issue: Outbreaks of highly contagious diseases pose public health challenges, including high diagnostic demand, strain on healthcare services, intensive contact tracing, and transmission risks in clinical settings. In 2025 a measles outbreak occurred in Rotterdam-Rijnmond (the Netherlands). We piloted an innovative multistep outbreak response strategy.\n\nDescription of the problem: To reduce regional healthcare burden and improve operational efficiency, three approaches were implemented during the outbreak. First, a team of trained medical students conducted home-based sampling of suspected cases. Second, in addition to PCR, measles antibody testing was performed on minimally invasive saliva samples from home-sampled individuals. Third, one-way bulk SMS-alerts were used to inform contacts exposed in healthcare settings.\n\nResults: These approaches were integrated into existing workflows. Among 124 individuals with laboratory test results, 19 were home-sampled by the student team. Median time from exanthem onset to result was 3 days (IQR: 2-3.5) for home-based sampling (n = 19), compared to 5 days (IQR: 2-7) for standard testing routes (n = 105). Saliva sampling was perceived as convenient, especially for children, and logistically feasible. Bulk SMS-alerts enabled rapid outreach to large groups and reduced workload compared to phone call-based tracing.\n\nLessons: This multistep strategy offered practical tools to strengthen outbreak response and reduce workload, particularly in high-demand settings. Professional home-based sampling, including salivary antibody testing, enabled rapid and minimally invasive testing, especially relevant in outbreaks involving children. It may provide quicker disease verification and additional opportunities for timely post-exposure prophylaxis. Bulk SMS-alerts facilitated rapid outreach to exposed contacts. The strategy was implemented through close collaboration between public health and clinical partners, contributing to regional preparedness.\n\nKey messages: • Professional home-based sampling by trained medical students can allow for quick disease verification and additional opportunities for timely post-exposure prophylaxis.\n\n• Bulk SMS-alerts enable rapid and timely outreach to large groups of exposed contacts, while reducing strain on the public health workforce.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "abstract",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "I De Jong"
    },
    {
      "name": "H Van Brug"
    },
    {
      "name": "E Vanhulle"
    },
    {
      "name": "S Bogers"
    },
    {
      "name": "A Kuiperbak"
    },
    {
      "name": "W Soochit"
    },
    {
      "name": "A Tjon-A-Tsien"
    },
    {
      "name": "J Velzing"
    },
    {
      "name": "K Von Eije"
    },
    {
      "name": "G Sips"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4we2ess6swr8x.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.974",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13697789/",
  "id": "4we2ess6swr8x",
  "issns": [
    "1101-1262",
    "1464-360X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.974",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "5. Poster Walks"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/MED00860"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC01210"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/SOC02610"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "R.9. Poster Walk: Infectious disease surveillance, prevention and vaccination"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2713|Virology and Viral Diseases"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223662649",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13697789/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13697789",
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4we2ess6swr8x.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:47Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13697789",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.974"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:47Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13697789",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13697789"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2713|Virology and Viral Diseases",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "An innovative multistep outbreak response strategy during a 2025 measles outbreak in the Netherlands",
  "title_text": "An innovative multistep outbreak response strategy during a 2025 measles outbreak in the Netherlands",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:34:46Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4we2ess6swr8x",
  "venue": "The European Journal of Public Health",
  "versions": []
}