Measles is a highly contagious disease, preventable by vaccines, which can cause serious illness or death. According to the CDC, measles was considered eliminated in 2000, meaning that "there is no measles spreading within the country and new cases are only found when someone contracts measles abroad and returns to the country." However, pockets of unvaccinated individuals can still cause outbreaks. The current outbreak in Texas has so far infected 22 children and two adults, all unvaccinated.
Measles causes high fevers of up to 104º and can cause complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis. One out of every five measles patients requires hospitalization. Neurologic or respiratory complications can lead to death. A rare but fatal complication can even emerge years after a measles infection. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) can develop 7 to 10 years after infection. Patients with SSPE die within 1 to 3 years of the onset of symptoms.
One of the reasons measles is so dangerous is "immune amnesia." This side effect of measles resets your immune system and causes it to "forget" previously acquired immunity, leaving patients vulnerable to other diseases. Measles attacks B-cells and T-cells, which usually recognize and attack pathogens previously encountered. Although temporary, this effect can last for months or years. The best defense against this dangerous disease is two doses of the MMR vaccine, which has been widely available since 1971.
Previously: Measles on the brink of return warns CDC
