Latest news with #SubacuteSclerosingPanencephalitis
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
At least 62 Israelis infected with measles amid outbreak, Health Ministry says
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, transmitted through the air via tiny droplets from bodily fluids, such as during sneezing or coughing. Israel has seen a spike in measles diagnoses in recent weeks, according to information published by the Health Ministry. At least 62 people have recently been diagnosed, approximately half of whom have already recovered. In many of the cases, the source of infection is unknown, and most of those infected were not vaccinated against the disease. The ministry also reported a new case of measles with potential exposure in public places. According to an epidemiological investigation by the Central District Health Bureau, the infected person visited the following locations: Ben Gurion Airport Arrival Hall – May 22, between 16:00 and 17:00 Shake Shack Restaurant, Cinema City Rishon LeZion – May 24, between 16:00 and 17:00 People who were present at these locations during the specified times are advised to ensure they are vaccinated against measles. Anyone over six months old who is not vaccinated should receive ameasles vaccine. Those who have had only one dose and it has been at least three months since their vaccination should receive a second dose. People born before 1957, who were likely exposed as children, or those who have received two doses, do not need further vaccination. Children under 6 years old should complete their vaccinations at Tipat Halav clinics (child wellness centers). Children over 7 and adults can get vaccinated through their healthcare providers. The ministry also recommends that pregnant women who are not fully vaccinated, immunocompromised individuals, and infants who were at the mentioned locations consult their regional health bureau about possibly receiving passive immunization against measles. Furthermore, the public is urged: If you're feeling unwell or showing typical symptoms of measles, do not attend crowded events and risk exposing your family and those around you. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, transmitted through the air via tiny droplets from bodily fluids, such as during sneezing or coughing. It has one of the highest infection rates among infectious diseases—about 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to an infected person will contract the virus. Symptoms usually appear 1 to 2 weeks after exposure and include: High fever, runny nose, eye inflammation, dry cough, and a distinctive rash covering the body. Most patients recover within a few days, but in some cases, measles can lead to complications like pneumonia, ear infections, and liver damage. A rare but severe complication is encephalitis (brain inflammation) or a later chronic neurological disorder called SSPE (Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis). The risk of SSPE is significantly higher in infants who were infected before receiving a vaccine. The Texas health department said on Tuesday it was "cautiously optimistic" about the spread of measles in the state after it saw only one additional case since its last update. The state recorded 729 cases of measles on Tuesday, one more since its last update on Friday. The spread of measles in the state has shown signs of slowing down over the past two weeks. The number of infections in Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak in the state, remained unchanged at 408 since the last update, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. "We're cautiously optimistic this trend will continue, but all it takes is the virus getting into a new pocket of people without immunity to see that change," Chris Van Deusen, director of media relations at the Texas health department, told Reuters in an email. The United States is battling one of the worst measles outbreaks it has seen, with cases crossing 1,000 for the first time in five years and three confirmed deaths. Experts have urged public health officials to provide urgent endorsement for highly effective vaccines. The measles vaccine is 97% effective after two doses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak in Texas has spread to neighboring states, including New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas. New Mexico's health department reported 79 cases on Tuesday, one additional case from its last update on Friday. Sign up for the Health & Wellness newsletter >>
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
State assures policy for rare disorder after parents protest outside Mantralaya
MUMBAI: A protest by parents outside Mantralaya, the state secretariat, forced health minister Prakash Abitkar out of the seven-storey building, before he escorted them inside to confront a life-or-death issue – a treatment protocol that could potentially save their children's lives. The parents on Tuesday told the minister that hospitals were neglecting children afflicted with Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare, progressive and usually fatal brain disorder caused by a defective measles virus. They wanted the government to establish a treatment protocol for their children as hospitals are currently refusing to attend on these children as there is no known cure for the condition. The parents had brought 25 patients with them, to make an impression on the minister. SSPE is a rare but devastating neurological disorder that typically develops years after an initial measles infection, often in children and adolescents. The disease is characterized by progressive cognitive decline, behavioral changes, and neurological symptoms, ultimately leading to death. There are 60 to 90 patients of SSPE in the state, Abitkar later said. Sagar Pujari, 36, was among the group of parents at Mantralaya. He said he had visited Shenzhen in China to procure 30 doses of Ribauirin vaccine for his seven-year-old daughter Ovi, an SSPE patient. 'It started with measles. The virus went to her brain and also damaged her muscles. In the beginning, there were seizures. In the second stage, the patient stops eating, and by the third stage, they remain in a recumbent position on a bed and die,' said Pujari. He said procuring the vaccine for SSPE is very difficult. 'I sold whatever I could to get these injections from China. They have inserted a pipe into my daughter's brain to inject the vaccine, and she seems to be responding to the treatment. But not everyone can afford it,' he said. 'Our demand is to make the vaccine as well as monetary assistance available to us, as the treatment is really expensive. It could cost as much as ₹4-5 million,' he added. State health minister Prakash Abitkar told the protesting parents that the state government would draft a policy comprising a proper treatment protocol, which would also ensure availability of the vaccine for the condition. 'It is a rare disease and requires a different protocol for treatment just like Covid-19. They also want the vaccines for the disease to be made available. All these issues can be addressed by bringing out a proper policy, for which I will hold a meeting today itself,' Abitkar said. The minister told the media, 'The shortage of the vaccine is a nation-wide issue. The state government will see if we can procure them directly from a foreign country.' Abitkar He also escorted the families to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who assured them he would look into the matter.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What is measles, the virus with a positive case in Pueblo
(PUEBLO, Colo.) — What is measles, the virus that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is warning the Pueblo community about after a confirmed case? According to CDPHE, measles is a highly contagious viral disease that causes fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red, itchy eyes. People with measles can spread the illness four days before the rash starts until four days after, and the incubation period for measles ranges from seven to 21 days. >>CDPHE adds third location of possible measles exposure Symptoms of measles include: High fever Cough Runny nose Red, watery eyes Rash The CDC said measles is highly contagious, and 90% of people who are not immune and exposed to measles will become infected. The virus can live for up to two hours in the air after an infected person leaves an area. The CDC reports that measles can be serious at all age groups; however, children under 5 years old, adults older than 20 years old, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to suffer from measles complications. Common complications include hearing loss, which occurs in about one out of every 10 children with measles, and diarrhea, which is reported in less than one out of every 10 children with measles. Severe complications include pneumonia, encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. CDC said that about one in five unvaccinated people in the U.S. who get measles are hospitalized. Pneumonia can occur in as many as one out of every 20 children with measles and is the most common cause of death from measles in young children. Death is reported in nearly one to three of every 1,000 children. Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) is also a very rare but fatal disease of the central nervous system that results from a measles infection; however, among people who contracted measles from 1989 to 1991, seven to 11 out of every 100,000 were estimated to be at risk for developing SSPE. Dr. Rachel Herlihy of CDPHE said the good news is that measles is also easily preventable with the highly effective Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine. With two doses of the MMR vaccine, it is 97% effective at preventing measles and offers lifelong protection. CDPHE said experts are unsure why three in 100 people who get two doses of the MMR vaccine still become ill with measles if exposed to the virus, though one theory is that their immune system didn't respond as well as it should have to the vaccine. Those with the vaccine who still contract measles typically report milder symptoms and are less likely to spread the virus to other people. There are no asymptomatic infectious carriers of the measles virus; only people who become ill with measles can spread it. Data from CDPHE shows that measles cases across Colorado show only one to two cases in some years, with other years having no reported cases. CDPHE reports that the currently confirmed case of measles was an unvaccinated person who had reportedly traveled to an area of Mexico that is experiencing an outbreak. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
