Jul 16, 2008 8:06 pm US/Eastern
Health Officials: Measles Making A Comeback
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
"Measles is alive and well in the world, and we are at risk," says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Numbers like this haven't occurred in over 10 years. Since January, 132 cases of measles have popped up across in 15 states, including Pennsylvania, and two cities. This is approaching the 1997 number of 138.
For the most part, Allegheny County has been spared from cases of the measles.
"None at all were reported from 2003 through 2007," says Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole. "However this year, in 2008, we've had our first case in at least six years."
Most cases have occurred in children whose parents decided against having them vaccinated, even though it is required for school.
"The vast majority, 95 percent, maybe approaching 98 percent of all children covered by the law do get the required vaccinations," Cole explains, "but there is a waiver for religious, moral, or personal reasons."
Avoiding this important public health practice concerns Dr. Andrew Sahud, an infectious diseases specialist at Allegheny General Hospital. "For people not to embrace vaccination for this or any other communicable disease, I think it would be an oversight."
The outbreaks have been started by children, many of them U.S. citizens, who traveled abroad.
Cole says the local case, reported in April, was a woman in her 50s. "She herself had no record of international travel, but given the nature of her job, we think she may have come in contact with some international travelers, and that might be the link."
The resurgence is a worry. The number of measles cases generally has been so low, it may not be recognized.
"The whole syndrome is something that most American physicians aren't terribly familiar with," says Dr. Sahud.
Signs of this highly infectious disease are a high fever and a rash made up of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another. Unfortunately, by the time the rash shows up, the person has been contagious. So all of that person's contacts will have to be examined to see if they've been infected.
Read More: 
Centers For Disease Control
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