Bad viruses travel fast: Measles vaccine important for travelers

The United States was declared free from ongoing measles transmission in 2000. But we may be at risk for joining the U.K, Greece, Albania, and the Czech Republic, four countries recently stripped of measles elimination status by the World Health Organization. Since the beginning of 2019, more than 1,234 measles cases have been reported in 31 states, with active outbreaks in upstate New York and El Paso, Texas. New York has just declared the end of its yearlong outbreak, which required a massive public health response to control. Minnesota had a major measles outbreak in 2017. In 2015, 125 cases of measles occurred in California, and in 2014, 383 people were infected with measles in an Amish community in Ohio. Beyond our borders, measles outbreaks have also been a big problem in Europe and elsewhere – a point to be aware of if you’re traveling. How measles outbreaks happen There are several reasons why we are still at risk for measles outbreaks. Travelers may get infected overseas, and bring the measles virus back into the country with them unawares. The 2015 measles outbreak in Ohio began when two infected members of the Amish community returned home from typhoon relief work on the Philippines. The California measles outbreak in 2014 started at two Disney theme parks, perhaps after the virus was brought there by a foreign tourist. In measles, there is an unusually long delay between infection and the development of the rash and other symptoms, typically about two weeks...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Infectious diseases Prevention Travel health Source Type: blogs