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The Centers for Disease Control continues to report increased numbers of measles patients in the US. From January 1 to February 13, 2015 there have been 141 cases. It has spread to 17 states and the District of Columbia, with 80% linked to the multistate outbreak from Disneyland.
Measles is not a benign disease!
Per the World Health Organization, there were 146,700 measles deaths globally in 2013. Most of these deaths occur in lower- and middle-income countries,
Even in the US, measles can cause serious complications and death. Complications from measles can be seen in any age group, but particularly in children <5 years of age and in adults >20 years of age.
Measles Complications:
Common:
- Ear infections (about 1 in 10 children)
- Can result in permanent hearing loss
- Diarrhea (about 1 in 10 people with measles)
Severe:
- Pneumonia (as many as 1 in 20 children)
- Most common cause of death
- Encephalitis (about 1 in 1,000 children)
- Can lead to seizures, hearing loss, intellectual disability
- Death (1 to 2 per 1,000 children)
- Measles in pregnancy can cause premature birth and low-birth-weight babies
Long-term:
- Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE)
- Aside from the long-term complications above, an estimate 4 to 11 out of every 100,000 will develop this fatal disease of the central nervous system 7 to 10 years after infection.
Bottom Line:
Per Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC: “This is not a problem with the measles vaccine not working. This is a problem of the measles vaccine not being used.”
References
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en/
http://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/complications.html