Measles is a viral infection characterized by high fever and exanthema (skin rash). Primarily categorized as a childhood disease, its endemic circulation has been interrupted in most countries in the Americas through vaccination and prevention strategies. However, owing to the highly infectious nature of the virus and its circulation in other countries, imported cases and outbreaks still occur [1].

The ability to diagnose measles clinically becomes increasingly difficult with increase in vaccine coverage. Confirmatory laboratory tests are necessary to ensure that all suspected cases are truly detected [2]. The detection of specific IgM antibodies against the measles virus (MeV) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is widely used for the laboratory diagnosis of suspected cases, mainly in places with a high prevalence of the disease. In pre-elimination or elimination settings, the positive predictive value of IgM serology is low, and virus detection by reverse transcription followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is required to confirm measles cases [3].

In general, laboratory results should be interpreted in conjunction with clinical and epidemiological information. To identify every measles case, sensitive, specific, standardized, and high-quality tests are needed to support rapid public health interventions for elimination [4]. The aim of this study was to analyze the qPCR results of swab and urine samples and compare them with those of immunological methods for the diagnosis of measles.