More spread of measles - yikes!

[jimnyc]

Never mind vaccines at this day and stage... but this spread is starting to get pretty bad.

And I think the main thing is folks traveling, in and out of countries and spreading at a quick rate it seems. I surely wouldn't want to work at an airport right now, or one of those immigration centers.

---

'Unprecedented' 100,000 hit by European Measles outbreak spreading at 'alarming' rate

MORE than 100,000 people across Europe have been infected with the potentially deadly Measles virus, which is spreading an “alarming” rate., WHO has confirmed.

The World Health Organisation said the rise in cases was "unprecedented" for a preventable disease.

They revealed they are rapidly ramping up their response to the outbreak, which has spread over two years, “based on the growing number of children and adults affected by and dying from the disease".

Measles is one of the leading causes of death in the world from a disease that can be cured by a vaccine.

It poses a particular danger to children and gives sufferers excruciating rashes, fever, and inflamed eyes.

WHO revealed today that, since the beginning of last year, more than 90% of countries across the continent have together reported over 100,000 measles cases and over 90 related deaths.

In recent years, conspiracy theories and fake reports have led to many parents stopping their kids having a vaccine, which is effective at preventing the disease.

The WHO highlighted “the persistence of pockets of non-immunized or under-immunized individuals in many countries fuelling the continuing spread of measles.”

More than half a million UK children could be at risk of disease after missing crucial jab, children's charity Unicef warned last month.

And earlier this week, it was reported that so-called “anti-vaxxers” in Germany could face fines of over £2000 children in their care are not given a jab.

“We have observed an unprecedented upsurge in people sick with this preventable disease, and too many have lost their lives to it,” Dr Dorit Nitzan, a WHO regional emergency director in Europe, said.

Rest - https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/lat...e-WHO-confirms


Will Cook County be home to the next big measles outbreak? Researchers think so.

Researchers who in 2015 correctly predicted where the Zika outbreak would strike in the U.S. say they think the country’s next big measles outbreak is most likely to happen in Cook County.

A research project spearheaded by Sahotra Sarkar, a University of Chicago-educated professor at the University of Texas at Austin, revealed the 25 counties most at-risk for a widespread measles outbreak, like those seen in Washington, Oregon and New York. Sarkar and his former student, Lauren Gardner of Johns Hopkins University, determined Cook County was the most at-risk for an outbreak. That’s based largely on the number of airplane flights to Chicago from global destinations where parents increasingly don’t have their children vaccinated, he said.

“Cook County turns out to be as important as it is, mainly because of the presence of O’Hare Airport,” Sarkar said.

The study was published Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The research took about six months to complete, using risk assessment models similar to one Sarkar and Gardner used when they determined Zika, a mosquito-carried virus that can cause serious birth defects, would first affect Texas and Florida when it emerged as a global threat to pregnant women.

Rachel Rubin, a senior medical officer with the Cook County Health Department, wasn’t surprised by the study’s findings. The seven measles cases reported in Illinois this year may have stemmed from encounters with people who were infected overseas and traveled back to Illinois, she said, adding it’s unknown if any cases were connected.

“As we know O’Hare is a huge transfer point for travel within the United States, not to mention all of the international flights,” she said. “I’m not surprised that their modeling would’ve predicted that Cook County and the city of Chicago would be such a hot spot.”

Rest - https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...509-story.html

[jimnyc]

And obviously other illnesses, which is why I pointed out these types of facilities. Little germ carriers carrying in all kinds of shit.

---

Border patrol rep: Record number of agents contracting illness from illegals

More agents than ever before are calling in sick to work or showing up sick, says a Border Patrol union representative who worries too many agents are succumbing to illnesses brought by illegal aliens.

Carlos Favela, president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 1929, says the number of agents affected by illnesses has reached alarming levels in recent years, with an estimated 20 to 25 agents from the El Paso sector calling in sick each day, while others come in to work sick because they’ve used up their sick days.

“I believe this is probably the record, you know, Border Patrol-wide, since ever, of agents calling in sick,” Favela told ABC-7.

According to Favela, numerous agents are filing union reports claiming they’ve contracted everything from the H1N1 virus to chicken pox to Legionnaires’ disease after coming in contact with sick illegals encountered at the border.

Favela says agents are concerned they could infect their family members with infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.

“The nightmare for the agent out in the field,” said Favela, “is that they contract tuberculosis or some kind of bacterial disease and they unknowingly take that home to their families and then their whole family is sick.”

Rest - https://www.infowars.com/border-patr...from-illegals/

[Drummond]

Never mind vaccines at this day and stage... but this spread is starting to get pretty bad.

And I think the main thing is folks traveling, in and out of countries and spreading at a quick rate it seems. I surely wouldn't want to work at an airport right now, or one of those immigration centers.

---

'Unprecedented' 100,000 hit by European Measles outbreak spreading at 'alarming' rate

MORE than 100,000 people across Europe have been infected with the potentially deadly Measles virus, which is spreading an “alarming” rate., WHO has confirmed.

The World Health Organisation said the rise in cases was "unprecedented" for a preventable disease.

They revealed they are rapidly ramping up their response to the outbreak, which has spread over two years, “based on the growing number of children and adults affected by and dying from the disease".

Measles is one of the leading causes of death in the world from a disease that can be cured by a vaccine.

It poses a particular danger to children and gives sufferers excruciating rashes, fever, and inflamed eyes.

WHO revealed today that, since the beginning of last year, more than 90% of countries across the continent have together reported over 100,000 measles cases and over 90 related deaths.

In recent years, conspiracy theories and fake reports have led to many parents stopping their kids having a vaccine, which is effective at preventing the disease.

The WHO highlighted “the persistence of pockets of non-immunized or under-immunized individuals in many countries fuelling the continuing spread of measles.”

More than half a million UK children could be at risk of disease after missing crucial jab, children's charity Unicef warned last month.

And earlier this week, it was reported that so-called “anti-vaxxers” in Germany could face fines of over £2000 children in their care are not given a jab.

“We have observed an unprecedented upsurge in people sick with this preventable disease, and too many have lost their lives to it,” Dr Dorit Nitzan, a WHO regional emergency director in Europe, said.

Rest - https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/lat...e-WHO-confirms


Will Cook County be home to the next big measles outbreak? Researchers think so.

Researchers who in 2015 correctly predicted where the Zika outbreak would strike in the U.S. say they think the country’s next big measles outbreak is most likely to happen in Cook County.

A research project spearheaded by Sahotra Sarkar, a University of Chicago-educated professor at the University of Texas at Austin, revealed the 25 counties most at-risk for a widespread measles outbreak, like those seen in Washington, Oregon and New York. Sarkar and his former student, Lauren Gardner of Johns Hopkins University, determined Cook County was the most at-risk for an outbreak. That’s based largely on the number of airplane flights to Chicago from global destinations where parents increasingly don’t have their children vaccinated, he said.

“Cook County turns out to be as important as it is, mainly because of the presence of O’Hare Airport,” Sarkar said.

The study was published Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The research took about six months to complete, using risk assessment models similar to one Sarkar and Gardner used when they determined Zika, a mosquito-carried virus that can cause serious birth defects, would first affect Texas and Florida when it emerged as a global threat to pregnant women.

Rachel Rubin, a senior medical officer with the Cook County Health Department, wasn’t surprised by the study’s findings. The seven measles cases reported in Illinois this year may have stemmed from encounters with people who were infected overseas and traveled back to Illinois, she said, adding it’s unknown if any cases were connected.

“As we know O’Hare is a huge transfer point for travel within the United States, not to mention all of the international flights,” she said. “I’m not surprised that their modeling would’ve predicted that Cook County and the city of Chicago would be such a hot spot.”

Rest - https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...509-story.html

AARGH !!!!!

... WELL, NOW ....

... I can only state what's obvious here. Evidently, this is The End Of Days. Civilisation, Life As We Know It, is under Serious Threat ! Send the sixth Fleet. Quick ... !!!

Who needs ebola, when MEASLES is spreading !!!

Oh, for God's sake !

Let people be immunised if they see a need for it, and good luck to them. All power to them. But I definitely will NOT like being told I MUST be immunised.

And, yes. I will not CHOOSE to be. Why ? Because I know I don't need it.

Shall I get every contributor, here, telling me that I must 'bend' to authoritarian diktat on this ? Too bad ... bring it on.

I dare to be an individual who values his individual rights. I also dare to exercise the proper sense of proportion in all this.

This is about .... MEASLES !!!!

Next time I get a head-cold, maybe I'll go catatonic out of pure mortal fear ......

[jimnyc]

No one said any of the above, Mr. Drummond. I made a separate thread, so that this one wasn't about vaccines, but rather simply about what is out there NOW, and how do we attack it and/or keep it from spreading. None of this really has anything to do with vaccines, even if the thread could technically veer from that and off to 'how did we get here', but that wasn't my point.

I posted this to that we can discuss how it's spreading possibly, and from where, and what is the biggest ways it may be spreading, and then lastly, how we can work to keep it from getting worse.

My belief is that likely the most of it is coming from illegals around the world, and then of course they travel here and there, and unfortunately insert it elsewhere unwittingly. Imagine an infected person sneaking into the USA, and then needing medical care and going to the hospital. That's a great place to spread it. But I believe airports are probably just as bad, and being in the airplanes secluded probably even worse. And hell, while this topic is measles, as I pointed out, we can even discuss it as any infections/diseases being transmitted in such ways, and the same, how to stem it.

Anyway, not sure why the crazy sarcasm and what not towards me, as I've shown you nothing but respect and will continue to do so. End of days, end of civilization.... all those things to exaggerate and diminish anything I post about diseases and/or how they are CURRENTLY spreading. This was not in any way meant to diminish any thing you have been stating, or really anyone for that fact. And the issues of the disease being out there right now, and spreading right now, is factual. So not sure the animosity in replying to me about this.

I certainly don't think it's the end of times, civilization, .... comparing it to some of the deadliest diseases man has known ----- and then right away into individual rights and what not -- when nothing of the sort was posted in THIS thread. One's rights don't come into the picture when talking about the fact that the disease IS out there, and unfortunately we need to face it and find best ways to minimize it. So, please save the for God's sake stuff - when no one in this thread stated the things you imply and I have not done so to you.

[Gunny]

No one said any of the above, Mr. Drummond. I made a separate thread, so that this one wasn't about vaccines, but rather simply about what is out there NOW, and how do we attack it and/or keep it from spreading. None of this really has anything to do with vaccines, even if the thread could technically veer from that and off to 'how did we get here', but that wasn't my point.

I posted this to that we can discuss how it's spreading possibly, and from where, and what is the biggest ways it may be spreading, and then lastly, how we can work to keep it from getting worse.

My belief is that likely the most of it is coming from illegals around the world, and then of course they travel here and there, and unfortunately insert it elsewhere unwittingly. Imagine an infected person sneaking into the USA, and then needing medical care and going to the hospital. That's a great place to spread it. But I believe airports are probably just as bad, and being in the airplanes secluded probably even worse. And hell, while this topic is measles, as I pointed out, we can even discuss it as any infections/diseases being transmitted in such ways, and the same, how to stem it.

Anyway, not sure why the crazy sarcasm and what not towards me, as I've shown you nothing but respect and will continue to do so. End of days, end of civilization.... all those things to exaggerate and diminish anything I post about diseases and/or how they are CURRENTLY spreading. This was not in any way meant to diminish any thing you have been stating, or really anyone for that fact. And the issues of the disease being out there right now, and spreading right now, is factual. So not sure the animosity in replying to me about this.

I certainly don't think it's the end of times, civilization, .... comparing it to some of the deadliest diseases man has known ----- and then right away into individual rights and what not -- when nothing of the sort was posted in THIS thread. One's rights don't come into the picture when talking about the fact that the disease IS out there, and unfortunately we need to face it and find best ways to minimize it. So, please save the for God's sake stuff - when no one in this thread stated the things you imply and I have not done so to you.

Naturally, you're going to get the jarhead response. In all 4 pages of the other thread and this one I picked out the key phrases/words as they pertain to the topic in my brain housing group.

"Measles IS Killing ...", "Preventable".

So in my little military mind and in keeping with my rank and position in the company, when the Sergeant Major looks my way with that "How long's it going to take you to fix this and why are you still here?" look, I'm going to start lining people up and solving the problem in a manner that is known to work. Medical staff first so they can spread out. Every other swinging d*ck (or not) in the unit get on line and start rolling sleeves. And I get mine first.

That's pretty much how it actually went in my unit with the anthrax shots.

First step in life saving: stop the bleeding. The other three don't matter if you can't do the first.

[Drummond]

No one said any of the above, Mr. Drummond. I made a separate thread, so that this one wasn't about vaccines, but rather simply about what is out there NOW, and how do we attack it and/or keep it from spreading. None of this really has anything to do with vaccines, even if the thread could technically veer from that and off to 'how did we get here', but that wasn't my point.

I posted this to that we can discuss how it's spreading possibly, and from where, and what is the biggest ways it may be spreading, and then lastly, how we can work to keep it from getting worse.

... OK. I apologise for my intemperance.

I can only say that I was reaching the end of my patience. I'm absolutely amazed at what I've been reading lately. I also take your point about this thread not being about vaccines, though from any discussion this thread generates, I'll be amazed if discussion about them doesn't feature.

I just don't understand why the proper sense of proportion seems to be so absent ! There are major diseases out there. Measles, by any criteria I recognise, just doesn't qualify.

My belief is that likely the most of it is coming from illegals around the world, and then of course they travel here and there, and unfortunately insert it elsewhere unwittingly. Imagine an infected person sneaking into the USA, and then needing medical care and going to the hospital. That's a great place to spread it. But I believe airports are probably just as bad, and being in the airplanes secluded probably even worse. And hell, while this topic is measles, as I pointed out, we can even discuss it as any infections/diseases being transmitted in such ways, and the same, how to stem it.

All fair enough. I don't think it fair to disproportionately blame 'illegals' for the spread of illness, though I absolutely take the point that they must add to it significantly, AND, being illegals, that's a source of it which needs staunch attention .... since, after all, none of that should ever be happening. Logically, all points of entry into the US should be set up to screen for illnesses carried by incoming visitors.

That said, there are practical difficulties. Exhaustive screening would delay the traffic of incoming people to unrealistic levels. Do you 'quarantine' them all, until exhaustive tests had been conducted ? By how long ? Several hours ? A day ? More ? To make that remotely feasible, you'd have to ban the numbers of visitors to where only a small percentage of those entering even made it to your shores in the first place.

What if - shock, horror ? - I tried to enter the US, having somehow, however improbably, contracted measles just a couple of hours before leaving Heathrow ? Would it even be detectable in me, upon arrival at JFK ?

I honestly think the only answer is to accept that only so much can be done, short of going to extremes. Yes, you could close your borders off to the outside world entirely, risking whatever consequences (business ones, for example) that resulted. My guess is that America would become the laughing stock of the world if they tried it, BUT, you could argue that it was a reasonable measure.

My recommendation is that the proper sense of proportion be brought into play. It's not a perfect world out there ! It's not, nor ever will be, a risk-free environment.

That's just reality, and I face that reality.

Anyway, not sure why the crazy sarcasm and what not towards me, as I've shown you nothing but respect and will continue to do so.

Sorry. I just 'lost it' for a while. I couldn't believe what I had recently read. Such extremes, over only MEASLES. No animosity involved ... just sheer, utter, incredulity, that came from several posts elsewhere on this forum. I shall do my very best to curb it in my future posts.

[jimnyc]

Naturally, you're going to get the jarhead response. In all 4 pages of the other thread and this one I picked out the key phrases/words as they pertain to the topic in my brain housing group.

"Measles IS Killing ...", "Preventable".

Regardless of all of that, the outbreaks are here and there and now must be faced. Maybe not make hospitals as bad as when ebola was running around, but of course areas for the infected is the best idea. And anyone even showing symptoms, and unsure, should all be treated with major caution until confirmed or not. And borders, airplanes & airports and other places I may not mention, should all of course take major care. But it's hard to fight something you can't see, in places that aren't medical facilities.

So in my little military mind and in keeping with my rank and position in the company, when the Sergeant Major looks my way with that "How long's it going to take you to fix this and why are you still here?" look, I'm going to start lining people up and solving the problem in a manner that is known to work. Medical staff first so they can spread out. Every other swinging d*ck (or not) in the unit get on line and start rolling sleeves. And I get mine first.

That's pretty much how it actually went in my unit with the anthrax shots.

First step in life saving: stop the bleeding. The other three don't matter if you can't do the first.

I don't know how far any quarantines may be necessary, but even using military ships as temporarily hospitals is a good idea.

[jimnyc]

... OK. I apologise for my intemperance.

All good, Mr. Drummond!

I can only say that I was reaching the end of my patience. I'm absolutely amazed at what I've been reading lately. I also take your point about this thread not being about vaccines, though from any discussion this thread generates, I'll be amazed if discussion about them doesn't feature.

I just don't understand why the proper sense of proportion seems to be so absent ! There are major diseases out there. Measles, by any criteria I recognise, just doesn't qualify.

That's why I made a separate thread, so that we could move on from vaccines and talk about just the cases we currently know about, and how best to face it.

All fair enough. I don't think it fair to disproportionately blame 'illegals' for the spread of illness, though I absolutely take the point that they must add to it significantly, AND, being illegals, that's a source of it which needs staunch attention .... since, after all, none of that should ever be happening. Logically, all points of entry into the US should be set up to screen for illnesses carried by incoming visitors.

The reason I point them out in a disproportionate manner is because of the huge influx of them that we normally don't see, and then these outbreaks soon follow. Are they the only reason? Absolutely not. But I tried to avoid too much pointing of fingers to try and avoid any fighting. But unfortunately, where it got started and how will end up being a focus.

That said, there are practical difficulties. Exhaustive screening would delay the traffic of incoming people to unrealistic levels. Do you 'quarantine' them all, until exhaustive tests had been conducted ? By how long ? Several hours ? A day ? More ? To make that remotely feasible, you'd have to ban the numbers of visitors to where only a small percentage of those entering even made it to your shores in the first place.

I've seen it several times already in America. Never quarantines to the level of closing things or delaying incoming/outgoing from airports or similar. Usually still test people only showing symptoms and feeling any symptoms, and of course very very important to educate people in America at such a time, so that they know if/when to seek any assistance if they feel any symptoms. You won't see an overall delay/stoppage otherwise, only tend to those I mentioned. I can't foresee any banning of incoming folks, other than hopefully the illegals at our borders.

What if - shock, horror ? - I tried to enter the US, having somehow, however improbably, contracted measles just a couple of hours before leaving Heathrow ? Would it even be detectable in me, upon arrival at JFK ?

Nope, not unless you are showing obvious or feeling symptoms and bring it to someone's attention.

I honestly think the only answer is to accept that only so much can be done, short of going to extremes. Yes, you could close your borders off to the outside world entirely, risking whatever consequences (business ones, for example) that resulted. My guess is that America would become the laughing stock of the world if they tried it, BUT, you could argue that it was a reasonable measure.

I agree 100% and that's generally how it's attacked. Life cannot be stopped, travel cannot be stopped. It'll mostly be life as normal, but with extreme education, and extreme care when seeing a patient that is a "possibility" and then how to handle any such patients coming to a Dr. office or hospital. That's usually how things have been handled, with worse diseases.

My recommendation is that the proper sense of proportion be brought into play. It's not a perfect world out there ! It's not, nor ever will be, a risk-free environment.

That's just reality, and I face that reality.

Agreed again - and my belief is that is how it will be handled. I've never seen even an overreaction with worse diseases. So I think we're more than OK in that department. The problem is locating those who may be sick, educating the masses so that when someone think they may be sick, they know what to do and who to contact. And of course the most important would then be handling those presented and confirmed as sick.

Sorry. I just 'lost it' for a while. I couldn't believe what I had recently read. Such extremes, over only MEASLES. No animosity involved ... just sheer, utter, incredulity, that came from several posts elsewhere on this forum. I shall do my very best to curb it in my future posts.

Understood, being passionate about a subject isn't something one needs to apologize for! I was just hoping to leave the fighting about vaccines in the other thread, and have some duking it out and/or just plain discussion in here about what we now do with what we face in front of us.

[Gunny]

Regardless of all of that, the outbreaks are here and there and now must be faced. Maybe not make hospitals as bad as when ebola was running around, but of course areas for the infected is the best idea. And anyone even showing symptoms, and unsure, should all be treated with major caution until confirmed or not. And borders, airplanes & airports and other places I may not mention, should all of course take major care. But it's hard to fight something you can't see, in places that aren't medical facilities.



I don't know how far any quarantines may be necessary, but even using military ships as temporarily hospitals is a good idea.

Drummond was right about one thing, it couldn't help but go toward vaccines.

The vaccine is two-fold: one, it protects the vaccinated. Two, it prevents an infected person from spreading it having nowhere to go among the vaccinated. Minus the ever-present exceptions

It is the most effective, cost-effective, and efficient means of both stopping the spread of the disease and killing it off. Problem - solution. If some are offended, I'll sleep at night with the results.

[Drummond]

Regardless of all of that, the outbreaks are here and there and now must be faced. Maybe not make hospitals as bad as when ebola was running around, but of course areas for the infected is the best idea. And anyone even showing symptoms, and unsure, should all be treated with major caution until confirmed or not. And borders, airplanes & airports and other places I may not mention, should all of course take major care. But it's hard to fight something you can't see, in places that aren't medical facilities.



I don't know how far any quarantines may be necessary, but even using military ships as temporarily hospitals is a good idea.

Keeping my temperance fully engaged ... let me just ask, how much of a threat IS measles ? Are we really, as I suspect, firmly in 'sledgehammer to crack a nut' territory with all of this ?

Yes, there are recorded cases of measles leading ultimately to death ... but, it's not as though the mortality rates of measles are anything more than 'rare'. That's just a fact, at least, as I understand it to be.

Are more lethal strains of measles even possible ? I don't know. If there could be, I somehow doubt that the medical world would be prepared to properly treat the mutation responsible. So, until they can, that's out as an answer.

I honestly think that resources, time, effort, staffing levels, could and should be held in abeyance for those conditions which pose an actual, real, critically quantifiable, problem. You mention ebola ... that's a good example. I'd rather not see resources so drained on minor illnesses that when a major one comes along, it just isn't possible to cope with it.

[jimnyc]

Keeping my temperance fully engaged ... let me just ask, how much of a threat IS measles ? Are we really, as I suspect, firmly in 'sledgehammer to crack a nut' territory with all of this ?

Yes, there are recorded cases of measles leading ultimately to death ... but, it's not as though the mortality rates of measles are anything more than 'rare'. That's just a fact, at least, as I understand it to be.

Are more lethal strains of measles even possible ? I don't know. If there could be, I somehow doubt that the medical world would be prepared to properly treat the mutation responsible. So, until they can, that's out as an answer.

I honestly think that resources, time, effort, staffing levels, could and should be held in abeyance for those conditions which pose an actual, real, critically quantifiable, problem. You mention ebola ... that's a good example. I'd rather not see resources so drained on minor illnesses that when a major one comes along, it just isn't possible to cope with it.

Here are some posts I gathered. Some are about the current outbreaks and where they are - which is scary, because the more locations the more obviously it can spread to others. I'm not trying to post things that are solely about vaccines but rather about what we have now and what to do - and as you asked, how bad of a threat is measles, and my addition of how contagious is it.

---

Measles Cases in 2019

From January 1 to May 3, 2019, 764** individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 23 states. This is an increase of 60 cases from the previous week. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1994 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000.

States That Have Reported Measles Cases in 2019



The states that have reported cases to CDC are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington.

Rest - https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html


Measles strikes another 60 Americans in a week as outbreak surges to 764 cases, CDC reveals

---Measles cases in the US have far outstripped the previous 2014 record, reaching 764 cases
---The virus is spreading among tight-knit communities and anti-vaccine groups
---International travel has introduced the virus into communities in Washington, Oregon and New York

Another 60 cases of measles were confirmed in the US in the last week alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed Monday.

Now, a total of 764 people in 23 states have been sickened by the highly contagious virus.

The current outbreak has now shattered the previous record - 667 cases in 2014 - since the disease was declared 'eradicated' in the US in 2000.

Measles has reappeared, particularly in close-knit and religious communities, and its rise trails growing anti-vaccination sentiments among Americans.

Last week, the Washington outbreak of the disease was declared over, but this week Pennsylvania was added to the list of states with outbreaks with five cases.

Once more, the vast majority of the new cases are in New York.

The state contributed 50 out of this week's 60 new cases.

In New York, measles has spread like wildfire in Orthodox Jewish communities where some believe that a vaccine constitutes a foreign body, which the Torah forbids Jews from allowing to enter their own bodies.

'Outbreaks in New York City and state are the largest ...the longer they continue, the greater the chance measles will once again get a foothold in the United States,' said Dr Nancy Messonier.

Rest - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...=1490&ito=1490


Global Measles Outbreaks

Measles cases are on the rise. All WHO regions are experiencing large, often extended outbreaks of the disease.

Measles is extremely contagious. It is estimated that around 9 in 10 people who are not already immune will become infected following exposure.

Measles can be very serious. In 2017 it caused approximately 110,000 deaths. Possible complications include encephalitis (an infection that leads to swelling of the brain), pneumonia, severe diarrhea and dehydration, and/or permanent disability. In developing countries, approximately 1 of every 100 children with measles will die from the disease or its complications.

Measles is preventable. Because of vaccination, measles deaths have been reduced by 80% since 2000, and more than 21 million lives have been saved. Without urgent efforts to address gaps in coverage, outbreaks like the ones occurring around the world will continue to occur.

What is CDC Doing

In coordination with partners including WHO, Gavi and the Measles & Rubella Initiative, CDC provides the following services

---Guidance on measles and rubella elimination across the globe
---Support for outbreak investigations
---Surveillance and specialized laboratory testing
---Planning, implementation, monitoring & evaluation of immunization campaigns
---Reviews of immunization programs

https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/mea...soutbreaks.htm


U.S. Measles Outbreaks Are Driven By A Global Surge In The Virus

In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared measles "eliminated" from the United States. But with measles continuing to spread and at times flourish in many parts of the globe, the U.S. has been unable to remain immune to the disease.

This year, the U.S. has its highest number of measles cases in 25 years. As of this week, the CDC has recorded 704 cases in 22 states.

The reemergence of measles is linked to parents who have chosen not to vaccinate their children against this highly contagious disease.

But that's not the full explanation. James Goodson, a senior measles scientist at the CDC, says the U.S. outbreaks are being driven by a surge in measles globally.

The World Health Organization tallied over 112,000 measles cases in the first quarter of 2019. This is up more than 300% compared with the same period in 2018. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, calls the rise in measles "alarming" and a "global crisis."

Madagascar is grappling with a measles outbreak that has sickened 70,000 people and killed more than 1,000. There are also significant outbreaks in Brazil, India, the Philippines, Ukraine and Venezuela. There have been smaller flare-ups in France, Greece, Israel and Georgia.

"When we see large measles outbreaks in countries that are common destinations for U.S. travelers, like we're seeing this year," Goodson says, "that's when we often see the largest number of measles cases in the U.S."

That's because of the nature of the virus. "The only reservoir for the measles virus is people," Goodson says. "So the only way you're going to get measles is if you come in contact with somebody who's infected with measles."

Measles is one of the most highly contagious human diseases known to science. Before a measles vaccine was introduced in the U.S. in the 1960s, the CDC estimates there were 3 million to 4 million cases a year in the country.

Rest - https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsan...e-in-the-virus

[Gunny]

Keeping my temperance fully engaged ... let me just ask, how much of a threat IS measles ? Are we really, as I suspect, firmly in 'sledgehammer to crack a nut' territory with all of this ?

Yes, there are recorded cases of measles leading ultimately to death ... but, it's not as though the mortality rates of measles are anything more than 'rare'. That's just a fact, at least, as I understand it to be.

Are more lethal strains of measles even possible ? I don't know. If there could be, I somehow doubt that the medical world would be prepared to properly treat the mutation responsible. So, until they can, that's out as an answer.

I honestly think that resources, time, effort, staffing levels, could and should be held in abeyance for those conditions which pose an actual, real, critically quantifiable, problem. You mention ebola ... that's a good example. I'd rather not see resources so drained on minor illnesses that when a major one comes along, it just isn't possible to cope with it.

Measles is the number ONE killer of preventable diseases. It's posted in one of Jim's links above. Again, "#1 killer among PREVENTABLE diseases.

I'm not sure about your concern with drained resources. You can go to just about any Walmart, grocery store or drug store here and get immunizations. A lack thereof doesn't seem to be an issue for us. That isn't even counting medical facilities. And you can get them free if you don't have the money (I don't know how or specifically from who).

I see very little difference between a spreading measles pan-epidemic and a spreading radical Islam epidemic except we have an immunization for the former.

[jimnyc]

I see very little difference between a spreading measles pan-epidemic and a spreading radical Islam epidemic except we have an immunization for the former.

** OT rant

I think we have an immunization for the latter as well, but PC politics prevents us from going full throttle and eliminating 90% of the issue around the world, perhaps more if you're touched in the head like me and just don't care about anything other than eliminating the infestation that admits they want us dead. Kill them all first. Problem solved.

** Ok rant over.

[Gunny]

** OT rant

I think we have an immunization for the latter as well, but PC politics prevents us from going full throttle and eliminating 90% of the issue around the world, perhaps more if you're touched in the head like me and just don't care about anything other than eliminating the infestation that admits they want us dead. Kill them all first. Problem solved.

** Ok rant over.

It is only partially off-topic. I introduced one disease in comparison to another. If you put them side by side, what is difference? One we can prevent and one we (as you stated) are not allowed to. The effect of each is the same. Multiply, spread and destroy everything in its path that isn't it. When you take away all the layers of politics and the veneir, you have the same damned thing. A disease. Destroy it completely before it spreads further if you have the ability. In both cases.

[Drummond]

It is only partially off-topic. I introduced one disease in comparison to another. If you put them side by side, what is difference? One we can prevent and one we (as you stated) are not allowed to. The effect of each is the same. Multiply, spread and destroy everything in its path that isn't it. When you take away all the layers of politics and the veneir, you have the same damned thing. A disease. Destroy it completely before it spreads further if you have the ability. In both cases.

... um. I'm just beginning to wonder if I've taken the wrong approach to all this.

To both Jim and Gunny:

I still say that measles is decidedly minor compared to the capacity to kill that ebola has. Still, it's way more of a killer, judging by the stats I've just seen, than I believed. I've been motivated throughout in my postings to believe that measles deaths were a rarity.

I think I've had good reason for my belief, because here, those deaths ARE a rarity. Granted that, decades ago, that wasn't true. Today, though, in my part of the world, actually ... they ARE.

See this, from the Office for National Statistics (it was a fully linked-in Government Department, but for the sake of shrugging off accusations of pro-Governmental bias in its data publications, was given administrative independence at least a decade ago ...) ...

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...s-1940-to-2013

Note the year-by-year table. In 1940, we had a much smaller population, of course, but still recorded (of 409,521 notifications, i.e number of people known to have contracted it) 857 deaths that year.

With at least double the population of those days ... by the turn of the century, we had just 2,378 notifications, and just ONE death that year (from a population of around 52 million). Add the total number of notifications from 2013 to 2015 together (population around 60 million), again, only the ONE death recorded.

Do you see why, in the environment I'm familiar with, we don't take measles seriously ??

Quoting from the link:

Prior to 2006, the last death from acute measles was in 1992. In 2006, there was 1 measles death in a 13-year-old male who had an underlying lung condition and was taking immunosuppressive drugs. Another death in 2008 was also due to acute measles in an unvaccinated child with a congenital immunodeficiency, whose condition did not require treatment with immunoglobulin. In 2013, 1 death was reported in a 25-year-old man following acute pneumonia as a complication of measles. In 2016, one death was reported in a 10-month-old infant who suffered complications due to a secondary infection.

All other measles deaths since 1992 shown above are in older individuals and were caused by the late effects of measles. These infections were acquired during the 1980s or earlier, when epidemics of measles occurred.

Do you now see why I react to the postings I've seen, as I have ? I daresay I could dredge up stats on pneumonia cases, or flu cases, and those would show a greater incidence of mortality than measles does !

Here, it's a very minor malady !!! For those VERY few people at risk of dying from measles, this is because they were unhealthy in the first place.

I'd say this. We've never, in the UK, had any program of mass vaccination that's ever been compulsory. Thanks to (as we see it over here) the scare stories emanating from the US about near-uncontrolled measles outbreaks, NOW, there's beginning to be talk of compulsory vaccinations. However, the Minister in charge of that Department has also voiced his reluctance to go that far. He considers it an extreme step to take.

No doubt a lot of our 'healthy' environment comes from immunisations ... we've had the MMR vaccine here for a considerable time ... since 1988, in fact. So ... let's check the statistics for 1987, say.

Notifications: 42,158.

Deaths in 1987: SIX.

Now, that's only half the deaths than for each of the three preceding years. But it still shows that our older, far less developed, immunisation programs of those days, were producing stats proving that deaths were a rarity.

Note the fact that out of tens of thousands of reported cases, and BACK THEN, recorded deaths from it struggled to even get to double figures ! And .... of those VERY FEW deaths ... how many died because their health was compromised by other factors ??

I hope my attitude in my posts, to say nothing of my incredulity, is now clear to you.

And I also believe this: measles is so minor, here, I think not only because of immunisations (which are NOT compulsory, as I said), but because we have an environment where, historically, exposure to measles is proven great enough for our immune systems to be able to cope with it.

So, I ask: do you Americans actually have weakened natural immunity, because of your reliance on vaccinations ?

Your population is only five times the size of ours. Why on earth are you recording HUNDREDS of deaths ??

Something has to explain why measles, to you, is significantly more deadly than it is to us in the UK.