Measles Killer: More Common than Believed

[AussieNeil]

A rare and universally fatal complication of measles is more common than clinicians had thought, a researcher said here.

The disease is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) and in the pre-vaccine era investigators thought it occurred about one in 100,000 measles cases, according to James Cherry, MD, of the University of California Los Angeles.

But analysis of 17 cases -- most related to the California measles epidemic in 1988 through 1990 -- suggests the rate could be as high as one in 600, depending on the patient's age at the time of infection, Cherry told reporters...

:

SSPE is a long-term outcome of measles, typically appearing 4 to 8 years after measles infection, and characterized initially by behavior changes and later by progressively more severe seizures. Death usually occurs between 1 and 3 years after diagnosis.'

medpagetoday.com/MeetingCov...

I found this finding interesting in the light of the vociferous minority that argue against vaccinations, due to the risk of adverse events, while conveniently forgetting the much higher risk of adverse events - including death, from the full infection.

For those who have yet to discover PaulaS 's summary on things we can do to improve our chances on the CLL journey, non live vaccinations are covered in part 1: healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

Neil

Photo: It's a willow, not a gum tree, but hopefully this heaviest, if not the largest member of the kingfisher family is instantly recognisable Photographed today on my way home from a walk along a local creek.

[fieldmeadow]

Not directly related to your post Neil, but the word "measles" takes me back 60 years to the day I was due to start school (age 5) - uniform neatly folded at the bottom of my bed and shoes polished - only to wake and find myself covered in spots. Doctor duly called and confirmed measles. I missed my first whole month of school and apparently was quite poorly.

Needless to say I made sure all my children were vaccinated!

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

Sadly Measles cases for 2019 now at postelimination high: mdedge.com/internalmedicine...

“The high number of cases in 2019 is primarily the result of a few large outbreaks – one in Washington State and two large outbreaks in New York that started in late 2018. The outbreaks in New York City and New York State are among the largest and longest lasting since measles elimination in 2000. The longer these outbreaks continue, the greater the chance measles will again get a sustained foothold in the United States,”

So sad that a "highly contagious, potentially life-threatening disease" declared eliminated in the USA in 2000 may again be a significant threat to community health due to the irresponsible spread of misinformation.

Neil

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to AussieNeil]

In an update to this post from 7 years ago, Katelyn Jetelina (Your Local Epidemiologist) published on 16th January 2024

Measles, trends, and collective amnesia.

Where she notes that "measles has epidemic cycles. It flares up every four to five years—2008, 2011, and 2019", so we may be due an epidemic cycle this year

Importantly;

- It’s not “just a fever or a rash.” While most people who get measles will recover, it can harm the body in every way possible. Measles can wipe out a huge fraction of immune memory to other diseases, causing an increase in all-cause deaths.

Long-term measles-induced immunomodulation increases overall childhood infectious disease mortality (May 2015)

science.org/doi/10.1126/sci...

Measles vaccination is associated with less mortality from other childhood infections. Measles is known to cause transient immunosuppression, but close inspection of the mortality data suggests that it disables immune memory for 2 to 3 years. Vaccination thus does more than safeguard children against measles; it also stops other infections taking advantage of measles-induced immune damage.

- The risks of infection far outweigh the risks of the vaccine, (See attached graphic from the New York Times)

Neil

The risks of infection far outweigh the risks of the vaccine - New York Times

[DriedSeaweed]

My generation did not get polio vaccine. I wonder if I should just get it in case all these "old" problems start creeping back.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to DriedSeaweed]

Polio epidemics left terrible legacies. In addition to the deaths, people were left crippled for the rest of their lives.

If media outlets can't reign in false news, then catching up on missed vaccinations may well be necessary. I was interested to learn that the misinformation about vaccinations largely derives from just a few sources, then gets widely disseminated, so in theory it should be easy to stop. A few social media sites are taking action.

Neil

[Carolco]

This is my first response here. Like many others I have been reading the posts for awhile. I am on W and W since 2016. I grew up never having any Childhood diseases. Something that is not mentioned nowadays about the disease is the exposure of Measles on expectant mothers. It can cause severe complications for the fetus. I went through two pregnancies knowing this. I lived in consent fear until I was able to get the vaccination after I delivered. I got Mumps in my forties but only on one side.

I read somewhere that CLL may be caused by little exposure to Childhood diseases.