The Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention is investigating an outbreak of Rubella which has affected three people aged between 23 and 28, and an outbreak of Scarlet Fever affecting five children.

The department said the Rubella case had been confirmed by laboratory tests. The three patients did not have a history of vaccination. It said that the World Health Organisation advised that following any confirmed outbreak of Rubella, surveillance should be conducted to identify suspected Congenital Rubella syndrome cases in infants 0-11 months of age, until nine months after the end of the outbreak.

The Department is therefore enhancing surveillance of Rubella and Congenital Rubella syndrome to identify any suspected cases. It has informed all health care practitioners who may come across cases of this outbreak.

On the outbreak of Scarlet Fever, the department said all the children attend the same class in a primary school in Gozo. In line with international practices it has recommended that children in this class should not go to school for the coming 7 to 10 days until results of tests are completed, in order to limit the possible spread of the outbreak.

All parents of the class mates have been contacted and there is no need for any other measures in the rest of the school.

"In both instances, the department would like to reassure the general public that all the necessary measures are being taken to limit the spread of these outbreaks and that there is no need for alarm," the department said.