How measles causes the body to ‘forget’ past infections by other microbes.

[2greys]

One of the most contagious human pathogens, the measles virus is dangerous enough by itself, with sometimes-fatal complications including pneumonia and brain inflammation. Two detailed studies of blood from unvaccinated Dutch children who contracted measles now reveal how such infections can also compromise the immune system for months or years afterward, causing the body to "forget" immunity it had developed to other pathogens in the past.

sciencemag.org/news/2019/10...

[elanaoali]

Read that news article very interesting and didn't that about measles. Fascinating but has a caused for concerned as we lost our measle free status in England three years ago.

I am too old to have the vaccination for measles (think I had it?!) but my children have been jab for this disease.

[Jaybird19]

Interesting that i was told i had had scarlet fever and measles at the same when i was very young. Wonder which came first. Was very ill for a long time , saved by the new ?streptomycin drug developed around that time . I also had a septic mouth and thumb so certainly a lowered resistance to strep infection, and apparently had to learn to walk again after. Wonder if the measles came first ? I had 3 attacks of scarlet fever altogether over the years and my sister had 2 attacks, my dad had repeated attacks of rheumatic fever all caused by that same organism - Haemolytic Streptococci group A.

A familial weakness?

It did kill many young children before antibiotics. An extremely vicious bug.

[megshafer]

Good read 2greys...

Happy Halloween 👻👻👻🎃🎃🎃🎃🌻🌻🌻

[soulboy118]

I had " german" measles as a child , I remember churchills funeral was televised during my exclusion from school, I wasnt alone though as my older brother had the same illness

[HungryHufflepuff]

It is quite worrying how measles is coming back, and this article makes it evident that it's even more dangerous than just the measles itself. I think some people don't realise how serious measles can be, saying it's only measles, it's not like it kills anyone.

[watergazer]

I got measles and mumps at the same time when I was 4 or 5 - I was very ill - Us oldies know how bad the measles can be x

[Hidden]

I first had measles aged 5 and had it 5 times altogether. It led to Pneumonia which is why I think I ended up with Bronchiectasis years later,

[Izb1]

Being the youngest of 4 I think I caught every childhood illness going and am sure things like the measles and pneumonia in childhood does lead to lung diseases like bronchiectasis, Im sure thats where mine came from.

[cofdrop-UK in reply to Izb1]

Most probably. I had double pneumonia and whooping cough aged 5 months old and they diagnosed bronchiectasis at the time. I also had measles aged 19 and my con later stated I had a double whammy!

I do hope the take up of the measles vac improves.

Cx