Tag: measles outbreak

Pathologist Says ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Threatened in Measles Outbreak

Spending time with other people is a cure for loneliness. But being a member of a vaccinated community has an important added benefit: preventing the spread of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases such as preventing a measles outbreak. The current concern over outbreaks of measles in the United States provides valuable lessons about how vaccinations are effective Gary W. Procop, MD, FCAP, chairs the CAP Microbiology Resource Committee and specializes...

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What Can Parents Do To Prevent Further Spread of Measles?

Since December, there have been more than 130 confirmed cases of measles in the state of California, most of them connected to an outbreak that originated in a Southern California amusement park. Many of the infected persons were not vaccinated against the extremely contagious virus, which manifests itself through rash, fever and coughing. While thought to be eradicated in the U.S., the illness has been traced to travelers who were infected in...

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8 of 10 Americans Polled Support Mandatory Measles Vaccines

A new CNN/ORC poll shows nearly 8 of 10 Americans believe parents should be required to vaccinate their healthy children against preventable diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella and polio. If the children are not vaccinated, most agree the child should not be allowed to attend public school or day care. These results come as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting a total of 154 cases of measles in the country, from...

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Measles Outbreak: What You Need to Know

Measles, a highly contagious respiratory infection that causes serious complications in about 3 of 10 people, has been grabbing headlines since last December’s outbreak at Disneyland. In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 102 cases of measles in 14 states. One unconfirmed case was just reported in New Jersey. Measured against the approximately 600 cases reported in 2014, this year is on track to set a record for a...

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Contagion: How One Person Can Set Off a Measles Outbreak

Americans may be victims of their own success when it comes to the eradication of infectious diseases and take their disease-free lives for granted, says Jorge Parada, MD, hospital epidemiologist and medical director of the Infection Prevention and Control program at Loyola University Health System. “There are plenty of countries in the world where measles and chicken pox are very commonplace; I have served in Angola where mothers begged...

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Measles Outbreak Was Inevitable but Can Be Halted, UAB Dr Says

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An ongoing, multistate measles outbreak linked to a California amusement park has already caused 68 confirmed cases between Jan. 1 and 23, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One University of Alabama at Birmingham pediatric infectious diseases specialist says this outbreak was inevitable, and it is likely to worsen. “We’ve been seeing increasing numbers of cases — last year the numbers nationally...

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