Why Measles Are Making a Comeback in US

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Sandy Meindersma, GoLocalWorcester Reporter

Measles, which were declared eradicated from the United States in 2000, are making a comeback and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is working hard to be sure that the highly contagious disease does not make any more inroads into the US.

Symptoms of the measles include: a fever lasting 3 days or more, a temperature of 101ºF (38.3ºC) or higher, rash, cough, and conjunctivitis. Measles spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, and for every 1,000 children who get measles, between 1 and 3 may die from the infection, despite excellent treatment in the United States. The incubation period for measles from exposure to fever is usually about 10 days (range, 7 to 12 days) and from exposure to rash onset is usually 14 days (range, 7 to 21 days).

Approximately 20 million people worldwide get the measles each year, and about 164,000 die from it.

Most Cases Since 1996

The CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report states that in 2011 there were more cases of the measles in the US than in any year since 1996.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said the majority of the 222 US cases in 2011 were imported from areas where there were low immunization rates or when unimmunized individuals came in contact with the virus.

To date in 2012, there have only been 25 reported cases nationwide, a slightly higher number than the 60 cases the US has averaged between 2000 and 2010.

Worcester Has Had No Cases

Sandy Early, a nurse in the City’s Health Department said that there have been no confirmed cases of the measles for the one year period ending April 20, 2012.

Kathleen M. Cleary, MD, a physician with Nashaway Pediatrics in Clinton, a UMass affiliate, said their practice has not seen any cases, although they have checked several patients for the disease recently.

“There’s been a heightened awareness,” Dr. Cleary said. “Thankfully, they’ve all come back negative.”

Immunizations Key

Dr. Cleary said that while she still had pockets of families who are concerned about reports that linked immunizations to autism.

“Those articles did a lot of damage,” she said. “But more recent articles have shown that link to be false.

“Massachusetts has a very high immunization rate, better than some parts of the country,” she said.

The CDC report urged that US residents be vaccinated, particularly if traveling abroad.

Dr. Schuchat pointed out that France is experiencing a resurgence in the measles, going from 40 cases to 15,000 in six years.

“They were having 30 to 40 cases a year between 2005 and 2007. In 2008, they got 604 reported cases. Then more than 1,500 in 2009, 5,000 in 2010,and over 15,000 in 2011, she said.

Dr. Cleary urged residents who are traveling abroad to be sure that they are up to date on immunizations.

“And I’d recommend a consultation with our Travel Clinic,” she said.