Introduction: Measles is highly contagious outbreak-prone acute viral human diseases caused by virus called member of Morbillivirus paramyxoviridae. Globally, it accounts for 44% of total deaths due to vaccine preventable diseases among children less than 15 years, the highest mortality occurring in poor communities with malnutrition, overcrowding and low vaccination coverage.

Objective: To assess measles infection and contributing risk factors and to propose prevention and control measures of the outbreak.

Methods: An outbreak investigation was conducted in Konta special woreda, SNNPR from February 22 to March 20, 2016. Both descriptive cross-sectional and unmatched case control studies were conducted with semi-qualitative method. Totally ten active measles cases were diagnosed by collecting blood samples and confirmed 8 samples (80%) positive for measles IgM antibody at regional public health laboratory. Data was collected from 68 active measles cases and 136 controls by using outbreak investigation checklist and it was feed to Epi Info 7. Data analysis was done by using Microsoft excel 2010 and Epi Info version 7.1.4.0. Assumption was used from the investigation report of same outbreak of Wolaita zone in 2013, which accounted 3,356 cases.

Result: Totally 1068 (AR = 926 cases per 100,000 population) measles cases were reported from the district. Totally 23 (50%) kebeles were affected: Albe Agare and Bake Sada kebeles were the most affected kebeles. There were 115 (CFR = 10.77%) deaths from November 10, 2015 to March 18, 2016. The case-control study finding revealed that children who were not vaccinated at least one dose for measles vaccine had a risk of 2.93 times higher than those vaccinated (AOR=2.93, 95%CI (1.3291, 6.4547)). The odds (AOR=10.1; 95% CI = 5.0, 20.5) of being a case of measles was 10 times more likely to develop disease among those were living with cases of measles than who did not. Peoples who have been living within 7km radius from health posts were more protected from measles (AOR = 0.3085, 95% CI = 0.1404, 0.6777). Malnourished children had a risk of 4.454 times higher for measles disease than those who had normal nutritional status (AOR=4.4540, 95%CI (2.1098, 9.4025))

Conclusion and recommendation: This measles outbreak was mainly associated with low coverage of routine measles vaccination. Magnitude of the outbreak was intensified due to late detection, notification and interventions. Measles mass vaccination campaign should be done for all under fifteen years of age children with maintaining proper cold chain management. Advanced malnutrition survey should be done.