Latest news with #Koplik
Shafaq News
04-05-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
Measles surge hits US, Canada, Mexico: Over 2,500 cases reported
Shafaq News/ Measles outbreaks have surged across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with over 2,500 confirmed cases and four reported deaths. The outbreaks have been attributed to declining vaccination rates, particularly in communities with low immunization coverage. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 935 cases across 29 states, with Texas experiencing the largest outbreak—683 cases concentrated in West Texas. The virus has also spread to New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas, with fatalities reported among unvaccinated individuals. In Canada, Ontario has recorded 1,243 cases since October 2024, making it one of the worst outbreaks in recent years. Meanwhile, Mexico's Chihuahua state has reported 844 cases and one death, with health officials tracing the outbreak to cross-border transmission. Experts warn that the situation could worsen if vaccination rates do not improve. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the measles risk level in North America as "high", compared to a "moderate" risk globally. Measles is a highly contagious viral infection caused by the measles virus (MeV). It primarily affects the respiratory system and spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing. Early symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and red, watery eyes. A few days later, Koplik's spots—small white spots—may appear inside the mouth, followed by a distinct red rash that spreads across the body. Measles can lead to serious complications, especially in young children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Possible complications include pneumonia, encephalitis (brain inflammation), and severe dehydration. In some cases, measles can be fatal.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles Or A Cold? How To Tell Them Apart As Cases Expected To Rise
When you think of measles, the first symptom that probably comes to mind is that distinctive full-body rash. But there's another sign that can flag the highly contagious virus before it reaches the rash stage which is lesser-known, yet just as important – and that's Koplik spots. Superdrug's pharmacy superintendent Niamh McMillan said the white spots are found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek. They might also then move onto the back of the lips a few days later. 'Not everyone with measles will have these spots, which usually last for a few days,' McMillan added. Data on measles cases in Europe over the past year shows a 'considerable rise' in cases compared to the year before, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). 'This indicates that the virus is circulating in the region and the number of cases will probably increase during the spring of 2025,' it said. The US is also facing an outbreak of the virus which has infected almost 500 people in the state of Texas and has reportedly caused the deaths of two children. There have been 151 cases of measles detected in England since January 2025, according to UKHSA data last updated on 13 March (almost a month ago). Cases were most prevalent in London, the South West and Yorkshire and Humber. 'Measles typically begins with cold-like symptoms, which can make it difficult to distinguish from other common illnesses,' said McMillan. The symptoms typically include: a high temperature runny or blocked nose sneezing a cough red, sore, watery eyes. One symptom that might appear and can help distinguish the virus from a cold is the appearance of Koplik spots, as mentioned above. And then there's the distinctive rash which can show up a number of days later. This is the 'most typical symptom of measles, which usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body', said McMillan. 'It usually appears three to five days after first signs of symptoms and lasts for several days. The rash can be flat or slightly raised and join together into larger patches.' According to the NHS, the rash can look brown or red on white skin and may be harder to see on brown and black skin. If you suspect your child has measles, the NHS advises to call for an urgent GP appointment or to speak to NHS 111. As measles is highly contagious it's best to call your GP first as they may request a telephone appointment to avoid spreading the virus to other people. If your child is diagnosed, they should stay off nursery or school for at least four days from when the rash shows up. Having two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 'the safest and most effective way to protect against this highly contagious disease', according to the ECDC. The vaccine is suitable for both adults and children. Unfortunately measles can cause a range of complications from pneumonia to encephalitis and blindness. Adults, pregnant women, immunocompromised people, chronically ill people, malnourished children and infants can end up experiencing more severe complications of measles if they catch it. For more information on measles, visit the NHS website. RFK Jr Makes More Alarming Comments About Measles Amid US Outbreaks The Crucial Measles Symptoms That Can Go Undetected 8 Symptoms Of Measles Parents Need To Know As UK Cases Soar
CNN
19-02-2025
- Health
- CNN
What to know about measles
As a measles outbreak causes dozens of illnesses in West Texas, it's important to know how to identify signs of the illness – especially in young children. Measles, one of the world's most contagious infectious diseases, can cause serious complications – such as blindness, pneumonia or encephalitis, swelling of the brain – and even turn deadly, especially in children younger than 5. 'About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the US with measles will be hospitalized, and as many as 1 in 20 children with measles will get pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death from measles in young children,' Dr. Melissa Stockwell, a professor of pediatrics at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in an email. Overall, she said, it's estimated that up to 3 out of every 1,000 children who become infected with measles will die from respiratory and neurologic complications. 'If a family has concerns, I urge them to please reach out to their child's health care provider so they can talk with them and get the facts about measles and measles vaccination,' Stockwell wrote. The best protection against measles is vaccination against the virus. But a record share of US kindergartners had an exemption for required vaccinations last school year, leaving more than 125,000 new schoolchildren without coverage for at least one state-mandated vaccine, according to data published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in October. The US Department of Health and Human Services has set a goal that at least 95% of children in kindergarten will have gotten two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, a threshold necessary to help prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease. But the US has fallen short of that threshold for four years in a row. Most of the cases in the current outbreak in West Texas are centered in Gaines County, where coverage of the MMR vaccine is particularly low: Nearly 1 in 5 incoming kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year did not get the vaccine. Early on, measles can cause symptoms that may appear similar to those of other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu or the common cold. 'With early measles, it's very difficult to differentiate measles from other common respiratory illnesses. There are three signs that run together: cough; conjunctivitis, or red eyes; and coryza, which is a term for a very congested or stuffy nose,' said Dr. Glenn Fennelly, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist and assistant vice president for global health at Texas Tech Health El Paso. 'If you see all three of those together, that's reason to be concerned,' he said. Other key symptoms of measles include a high fever that may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, a red blotchy measles rash and Koplik spots, which are tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin. 'While some of the symptoms of measles in its early phase can overlap with other respiratory viruses like runny nose, cough and fever, typical measles cases have a hallmark rash,' which usually begins three to five days after the other symptoms start, Stockwell said. If someone develops any of those symptoms, it's important to have a conversation with their physician or medical care team before taking them to the doctor's office, urgent care center or hospital, Fennelly said. 'Measles is highly contagious. It's best that the staff has a heads up,' he said, because the person should be 'immediately isolated.' Calling ahead allows the health care provider to make accommodations and provide guidance on how to safely see the patient while reducing the risk of measles spreading in a busy waiting room. The measles virus spreads through coughing, sneezing and breathing the same air that was breathed by someone infected with measles. The virus can linger in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours – even after the infected person has left the room. It's estimated that one person infected by measles can infect 9 out of 10 of their close contacts, if those contacts are unvaccinated. Measles is so contagious partly because an infected person can spread the virus to others even before knowing they have it – from four days before through four days after the rash appears. 'The best protection is for all parents to get their children immunized at the time the immunization is recommended, and that's starting at a year of age, with a second dose recommended around 4 to 6 years of age,' Fennelly said. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been found to be safe and effective, Fennelly said. One dose is 93% effective against measles, and two doses are 97% effective. Officials' guidance says children should get two doses of the MMR vaccine: the first between 12 and 15 months and the second around age 4, before starting school. These two doses usually protect people against measles for life. Because the vaccine is not 100% effective, the more measles spreads, the higher the risk that a vaccinated person may be infected if they're exposed to the virus. However, disease symptoms are generally milder in vaccinated people, and they are also less likely to spread it to others. CDC guidance also indicates that if someone is exposed to measles, getting the MMR vaccine within 72 hours could induce some protection or result in less serious illness. Older children or adults can get vaccinated if they didn't get the vaccine as a child. However, people born before 1957 are likely to have been naturally infected and thus already have immunity, according to the CDC. If you got the first version of the measles vaccine - a killed-virus vaccine used between 1963 and 1968 - or don't know which type of vaccine you received, the CDC recommends getting at least one dose of MMR. Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, the virus would claim an estimated 2.6 million lives each year worldwide. In 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that there were 107,500 measles deaths, largely in countries with low vaccination. In the United States, there have been recent declines in some parents getting their children vaccinated, driven largely by the spread of misinformation, including the misconception that vaccination may be tied to autism. 'Measles vaccines are safe and effective. There is no validated study showing any link with autism,' Fennelly said. 'That measles vaccines are safe has been demonstrated by the millions of children that have received them without complications. What parents should fear, in the case of measles in particular, is not the vaccine but the illness, which can be devastating.' There is no specific antiviral therapy for measles, but some of the complications associated with the illness can be treated. 'There is unfortunately no treatment for measles,' Stockwell wrote in the email. 'Sometimes measles can result in a secondary infection such as an ear infection or pneumonia that needs antibiotic treatment,' she added. 'Finally, vitamin A can be an important adjunctive therapy for measles that can help protect against severe disease and some of the adverse effects of measles.' Fennelly noted that measles is a 'strongly immunosuppressive' virus, meaning it weakens the infected person's immune system, and bacterial infections like bacterial pneumonia are a major cause of measles-related death. 'Children may have bacterial infections in the respiratory tract that require antibiotic treatment,' Fennelly said. Additionally, 'any child that's sick enough to get hospitalized will probably get high-dose vitamin A,' he said. 'Vitamin A has been shown to have a very strong impact during acute measles, and for children that are very ill, it can lead to a 50% reduction in mortality.' People whose doctors say they should stay home can be treated with fever-reducing medications, rest and lots of hydration. 'It's important to isolate the child during the period where the child might be contagious and to stay in close contact with the pediatrician,' Fennelly said. 'If a child begins behaving excessively sleepy or very irritable, those would be reasons to get back in touch with the pediatrician.' CNN's Neha Mukherjee contributed to this report.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What to know about measles
As a measles outbreak causes dozens of illnesses in West Texas, it's important to know how to identify signs of the illness – especially in young children. Measles, one of the world's most contagious infectious diseases, can cause serious complications – such as blindness, pneumonia or encephalitis, swelling of the brain – and even turn deadly, especially in children younger than 5. 'About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the US with measles will be hospitalized, and as many as 1 in 20 children with measles will get pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death from measles in young children,' Dr. Melissa Stockwell, a professor of pediatrics at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in an email. Overall, she said, it's estimated that up to 3 out of every 1,000 children who become infected with measles will die from respiratory and neurologic complications. 'If a family has concerns, I urge them to please reach out to their child's health care provider so they can talk with them and get the facts about measles and measles vaccination,' Stockwell wrote. The best protection against measles is vaccination against the virus. But a record share of US kindergartners had an exemption for required vaccinations last school year, leaving more than 125,000 new schoolchildren without coverage for at least one state-mandated vaccine, according to data published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in October. The US Department of Health and Human Services has set a goal that at least 95% of children in kindergarten will have gotten two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, a threshold necessary to help prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease. But the US has fallen short of that threshold for four years in a row. Most of the cases in the current outbreak in West Texas are centered in Gaines County, where coverage of the MMR vaccine is particularly low: Nearly 1 in 5 incoming kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year did not get the vaccine. Early on, measles can cause symptoms that may appear similar to those of other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu or the common cold. 'With early measles, it's very difficult to differentiate measles from other common respiratory illnesses. There are three signs that run together: cough; conjunctivitis, or red eyes; and coryza, which is a term for a very congested or stuffy nose,' said Dr. Glenn Fennelly, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist and assistant vice president for global health at Texas Tech Health El Paso. 'If you see all three of those together, that's reason to be concerned,' he said. Other key symptoms of measles include a high fever that may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, a red blotchy measles rash and Koplik spots, which are tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin. 'While some of the symptoms of measles in its early phase can overlap with other respiratory viruses like runny nose, cough and fever, typical measles cases have a hallmark rash,' which usually begins three to five days after the other symptoms start, Stockwell said. If someone develops any of those symptoms, it's important to have a conversation with their physician or medical care team before taking them to the doctor's office, urgent care center or hospital, Fennelly said. 'Measles is highly contagious. It's best that the staff has a heads up,' he said, because the person should be 'immediately isolated.' Calling ahead allows the health care provider to make accommodations and provide guidance on how to safely see the patient while reducing the risk of measles spreading in a busy waiting room. The measles virus spreads through coughing, sneezing and breathing the same air that was breathed by someone infected with measles. The virus can linger in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours – even after the infected person has left the room. It's estimated that one person infected by measles can infect 9 out of 10 of their close contacts, if those contacts are unvaccinated. Measles is so contagious partly because an infected person can spread the virus to others even before knowing they have it – from four days before through four days after the rash appears. 'The best protection is for all parents to get their children immunized at the time the immunization is recommended, and that's starting at a year of age, with a second dose recommended around 4 to 6 years of age,' Fennelly said. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been found to be safe and effective, Fennelly said. One dose is 93% effective against measles, and two doses are 97% effective. Officials' guidance says children should get two doses of the MMR vaccine: the first between 12 and 15 months and the second around age 4, before starting school. These two doses usually protect people against measles for life. Because the vaccine is not 100% effective, the more measles spreads, the higher the risk that a vaccinated person may be infected if they're exposed to the virus. However, disease symptoms are generally milder in vaccinated people, and they are also less likely to spread it to others. CDC guidance also indicates that if someone is exposed to measles, getting the MMR vaccine within 72 hours could induce some protection or result in less serious illness. Older children or adults can get vaccinated if they didn't get the vaccine as a child. However, people born before 1957 are likely to have been naturally infected and thus already have immunity, according to the CDC. If you got the first version of the measles vaccine - a killed-virus vaccine used between 1963 and 1968 - or don't know which type of vaccine you received, the CDC recommends getting at least one dose of MMR. Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, the virus would claim an estimated 2.6 million lives each year worldwide. In 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that there were 107,500 measles deaths, largely in countries with low vaccination. In the United States, there have been recent declines in some parents getting their children vaccinated, driven largely by the spread of misinformation, including the misconception that vaccination may be tied to autism. 'Measles vaccines are safe and effective. There is no validated study showing any link with autism,' Fennelly said. 'That measles vaccines are safe has been demonstrated by the millions of children that have received them without complications. What parents should fear, in the case of measles in particular, is not the vaccine but the illness, which can be devastating.' There is no specific antiviral therapy for measles, but some of the complications associated with the illness can be treated. 'There is unfortunately no treatment for measles,' Stockwell wrote in the email. 'Sometimes measles can result in a secondary infection such as an ear infection or pneumonia that needs antibiotic treatment,' she added. 'Finally, vitamin A can be an important adjunctive therapy for measles that can help protect against severe disease and some of the adverse effects of measles.' Fennelly noted that measles is a 'strongly immunosuppressive' virus, meaning it weakens the infected person's immune system, and bacterial infections like bacterial pneumonia are a major cause of measles-related death. 'Children may have bacterial infections in the respiratory tract that require antibiotic treatment,' Fennelly said. Additionally, 'any child that's sick enough to get hospitalized will probably get high-dose vitamin A,' he said. 'Vitamin A has been shown to have a very strong impact during acute measles, and for children that are very ill, it can lead to a 50% reduction in mortality.' People whose doctors say they should stay home can be treated with fever-reducing medications, rest and lots of hydration. 'It's important to isolate the child during the period where the child might be contagious and to stay in close contact with the pediatrician,' Fennelly said. 'If a child begins behaving excessively sleepy or very irritable, those would be reasons to get back in touch with the pediatrician.' CNN's Neha Mukherjee contributed to this report.
CNN
19-02-2025
- Health
- CNN
What to know about measles
As a measles outbreak causes dozens of illnesses in West Texas, it's important to know how to identify signs of the illness – especially in young children. Measles, one of the world's most contagious infectious diseases, can cause serious complications – such as blindness, pneumonia or encephalitis, swelling of the brain – and even turn deadly, especially in children younger than 5. 'About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the US with measles will be hospitalized, and as many as 1 in 20 children with measles will get pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death from measles in young children,' Dr. Melissa Stockwell, a professor of pediatrics at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in an email. Overall, she said, it's estimated that up to 3 out of every 1,000 children who become infected with measles will die from respiratory and neurologic complications. 'If a family has concerns, I urge them to please reach out to their child's health care provider so they can talk with them and get the facts about measles and measles vaccination,' Stockwell wrote. The best protection against measles is vaccination against the virus. But a record share of US kindergartners had an exemption for required vaccinations last school year, leaving more than 125,000 new schoolchildren without coverage for at least one state-mandated vaccine, according to data published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in October. The US Department of Health and Human Services has set a goal that at least 95% of children in kindergarten will have gotten two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, a threshold necessary to help prevent outbreaks of the highly contagious disease. But the US has fallen short of that threshold for four years in a row. Most of the cases in the current outbreak in West Texas are centered in Gaines County, where coverage of the MMR vaccine is particularly low: Nearly 1 in 5 incoming kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year did not get the vaccine. Early on, measles can cause symptoms that may appear similar to those of other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu or the common cold. 'With early measles, it's very difficult to differentiate measles from other common respiratory illnesses. There are three signs that run together: cough; conjunctivitis, or red eyes; and coryza, which is a term for a very congested or stuffy nose,' said Dr. Glenn Fennelly, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist and assistant vice president for global health at Texas Tech Health El Paso. 'If you see all three of those together, that's reason to be concerned,' he said. Other key symptoms of measles include a high fever that may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, a red blotchy measles rash and Koplik spots, which are tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin. 'While some of the symptoms of measles in its early phase can overlap with other respiratory viruses like runny nose, cough and fever, typical measles cases have a hallmark rash,' which usually begins three to five days after the other symptoms start, Stockwell said. If someone develops any of those symptoms, it's important to have a conversation with their physician or medical care team before taking them to the doctor's office, urgent care center or hospital, Fennelly said. 'Measles is highly contagious. It's best that the staff has a heads up,' he said, because the person should be 'immediately isolated.' Calling ahead allows the health care provider to make accommodations and provide guidance on how to safely see the patient while reducing the risk of measles spreading in a busy waiting room. The measles virus spreads through coughing, sneezing and breathing the same air that was breathed by someone infected with measles. The virus can linger in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours – even after the infected person has left the room. It's estimated that one person infected by measles can infect 9 out of 10 of their close contacts, if those contacts are unvaccinated. Measles is so contagious partly because an infected person can spread the virus to others even before knowing they have it – from four days before through four days after the rash appears. 'The best protection is for all parents to get their children immunized at the time the immunization is recommended, and that's starting at a year of age, with a second dose recommended around 4 to 6 years of age,' Fennelly said. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been found to be safe and effective, Fennelly said. One dose is 93% effective against measles, and two doses are 97% effective. Officials' guidance says children should get two doses of the MMR vaccine: the first between 12 and 15 months and the second around age 4, before starting school. These two doses usually protect people against measles for life. Because the vaccine is not 100% effective, the more measles spreads, the higher the risk that a vaccinated person may be infected if they're exposed to the virus. However, disease symptoms are generally milder in vaccinated people, and they are also less likely to spread it to others. CDC guidance also indicates that if someone is exposed to measles, getting the MMR vaccine within 72 hours could induce some protection or result in less serious illness. Older children or adults can get vaccinated if they didn't get the vaccine as a child. However, people born before 1957 are likely to have been naturally infected and thus already have immunity, according to the CDC. If you got the first version of the measles vaccine - a killed-virus vaccine used between 1963 and 1968 - or don't know which type of vaccine you received, the CDC recommends getting at least one dose of MMR. Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, the virus would claim an estimated 2.6 million lives each year worldwide. In 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that there were 107,500 measles deaths, largely in countries with low vaccination. In the United States, there have been recent declines in some parents getting their children vaccinated, driven largely by the spread of misinformation, including the misconception that vaccination may be tied to autism. 'Measles vaccines are safe and effective. There is no validated study showing any link with autism,' Fennelly said. 'That measles vaccines are safe has been demonstrated by the millions of children that have received them without complications. What parents should fear, in the case of measles in particular, is not the vaccine but the illness, which can be devastating.' There is no specific antiviral therapy for measles, but some of the complications associated with the illness can be treated. 'There is unfortunately no treatment for measles,' Stockwell wrote in the email. 'Sometimes measles can result in a secondary infection such as an ear infection or pneumonia that needs antibiotic treatment,' she added. 'Finally, vitamin A can be an important adjunctive therapy for measles that can help protect against severe disease and some of the adverse effects of measles.' Fennelly noted that measles is a 'strongly immunosuppressive' virus, meaning it weakens the infected person's immune system, and bacterial infections like bacterial pneumonia are a major cause of measles-related death. 'Children may have bacterial infections in the respiratory tract that require antibiotic treatment,' Fennelly said. Additionally, 'any child that's sick enough to get hospitalized will probably get high-dose vitamin A,' he said. 'Vitamin A has been shown to have a very strong impact during acute measles, and for children that are very ill, it can lead to a 50% reduction in mortality.' People whose doctors say they should stay home can be treated with fever-reducing medications, rest and lots of hydration. 'It's important to isolate the child during the period where the child might be contagious and to stay in close contact with the pediatrician,' Fennelly said. 'If a child begins behaving excessively sleepy or very irritable, those would be reasons to get back in touch with the pediatrician.' CNN's Neha Mukherjee contributed to this report.
