Measles outbreak causes a scare

A large number of measles cases in the United States dating back to last year has ignited a countrywide scare of a widespread outbreak of the highly contagious respiratory disease.

More than 100 cases in 14 states — including New York — were confirmed in the month of January by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of the three cases in New York, two were in New York City, and the other in Dutchess County, said the state’s Department of Health.

Measles begins with a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, according to the CDC, and after a few days can cause small white spots to appear inside the mouth.

Days later, rashes begin at the hairline and spread downward, and the fever could spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Although measles is usually considered a childhood disease, said the state DOH, it can be contracted at any age. In rare cases, measles can be fatal.

The multi-state outbreak, said the CDC, is linked to an exposure at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

In 2014, a record 644 cases of measles in 27 states were confirmed, the most by far since 2000, when the disease was eliminated in the U.S., meaning the infection no longer originates here.

Anyone who has received two doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is immune to the disease. Anyone born before 1957 is also likely immune, according to the CDC, because they lived through several years of epidemic measles before the first measles vaccine was licensed.

Many parents choose not to vaccinate their children, fearing the impact the chemicals could potentially have on immune systems, as well as a potential link that has been long debated between vaccinations and autism. Dr. Victor Politi, the president of the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, stressed the importance of vaccination in a recent interview with News12. “Most of the cases that have exhibited the signs and symptoms of measles have been unvaccinated children or adults,” he said. “If you do get the measles, there are serious complications, such as meningitis or encephalitis.”

The DOH is advising people who may have been exposed and who have symptoms consistent with measles to call their health care providers or a local emergency room before going for care.

To learn more about the disease, visit cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/measles/faqs-dis-vac-risks.htm.