8 cases of measles diagnosed in Israel in past week, Health Ministry says
Diagnosed patients from Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Emek Hefer and Modiin Illit, six of them are unvaccinated
The Health Ministry reported Monday that eight cases of measles have been diagnosed in Israel since April 20, as the United States also dealt with an outbreak amid growing resistance to vaccinations.
The diagnosed patients were from the Tel Aviv and Bnei Brak region, Emek Hefer, and Modiin Illit, with six of the cases in unvaccinated patients, and the outbreaks in predominantly ultra-Orthodox communities.
According to the epidemiological investigation, four of the patients contracted the disease abroad or through contact with people who had recently returned from abroad. The investigation regarding the other cases is ongoing.
The ministry emphasized that anyone who has been in contact with a measles patient should continue testing and vaccinating according to its guidelines. It also recommended that unvaccinated pregnant women, immunosuppressed individuals, and infants who may have been exposed to a measles patient consult with their healthcare providers to determine whether “passive immunization” against measles is possible and makes sense for them.
The ministry also recommended checking vaccination status and getting vaccinated before traveling abroad, especially to countries known to have significant measles outbreaks.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, general malaise, runny nose, and a rash, and it can cause serious and even life-threatening complications.
Measles is caused by a virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes, or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and had been considered eliminated from the US since 2000.
There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.
In the US, one-fifth of states are seeing active measles outbreaks, with around 900 cases, according to figures posted Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The vast majority — 646 — are in Texas, where an outbreak in the western part of the state is approaching the three-month mark.
Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.
Other states with active outbreaks — defined as three or more cases — include Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
North America has two other ongoing outbreaks. One in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 1,020 cases from mid-October through Wednesday. And as of Friday, the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 605 measles cases, according to data from the state health ministry. The World Health Organization has said cases in Mexico are linked to the Texas outbreak.
As the virus takes hold in other US communities with low vaccination rates, health experts fear the virus could stretch on for a year.
The Times of Israel Community.