Measles Outbreaks Linked to Lack of Vaccination and International Travel

Multiple outbreaks of measles are being investigated by CDC and state health authorities. Measles is a highly contagious disease spread through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms can include rash, high fever, coughing, and runny nose. The disease can also cause more serious complications, such as ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) — even death.

Since the turn of the year, CDC received a total of 64 reports of confirmed measles cases in nine states. Arizona, New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin all experienced more than three cases. All cases are considered related to overseas travel including Europe and Israel.

Of the 64 people infected, 63 had no documentation of compliant vaccination with 14 too young to be vaccinated.

Measles was considered eliminated from the US in 2000, but is easily imported from other parts of the world. 20 million cases of measles still occur each year, and the disease is a significant cause of vaccine-preventable death among children. In 2005, 311,000 children under age 5 died from the disease.

CDC Recommendations:
All children should receive two doses of MMR vaccine. The first dose is recommended at 12–15 months of age and the second dose at 4–6 years of age. All adults born during or after 1957 should receive at least one dose of vaccine unless they have documented evidence of measles immunity (a blood test or a physician's diagnosis of measles). Two doses are recommended for all international travelers, healthcare personnel, and students of secondary and post-secondary educational facilities. Infants 6–11 months of age should receive one dose prior to travel abroad.

Common Viruses May Play a Role in the Development of Lung Cancer

Papers presented at the 1st European Lung Cancer Conference demonstrate that common viruses may play a role in the development of lung cancer. While smoking is the leading risk factor in developing lung cancer, other factors do play a role including radon, mineral dust exposure and now exposure to certain viruses.

Dr. Arash Rezazadeh and colleagues from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA, presented an article that described the results of a study on 23 lung cancer samples from patients in Kentucky.

The researchers found six samples that tested positive for the presence of human papilloma virus (HPV), the virus that also causes many cases of cervical cancer. One was later shown to be a cervical cancer that had spread to the lungs. Of the remaining 5 virus-positive samples, two were HPV type 16, two were HPV type 11 and one was HPV type 22.

All subjects were smokers. However, evidence that 6 of 23 should evidence of HPV would warrant a larger sample and further investigation to determine the role HPV may have in the development of lung cancer. Further, samples should be taken from subjects who have never smoked or been subjected to other common risk factors.

A second paper by Israeli researchers suggests that measles virus may also be a factor in some lung cancers. Their study included 65 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, of whom more than half had evidence of measles virus in tissue samples taken from their tumors. The lead author, Prof. Samuel Ariad from Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva, Israel suggests that measles is most likely acts in modifying the effect of other carcinogens and not as a causative factor by itself.