Measles Reported in Maine After Foreign Travel
Monday, Maine's first case of measles was confirmed by the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Lab. Reports states the patient had traveled oversees. It has not been released where the person traveled or if the patient is a child or an adult.
An increased number of cases and outbreaks have been reported all over the world since January 2017. Outbreaks have occurred in Ukraine, France, Portugal, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Hungry, Switzerland, Burma, Guinea, South Sudan, Marshal Islands, New Zealand, Thailand, Germany, Italy, Syria, Indonesia, Romania, Japan, Algeria, Nigeria, Sierro Leona, and Ireland.
Last year the US had less than 70 cases of measles, down from 188 in 2015. As of May 2017 there were 100 cases already reported. This is an excellent example of why it is so important to speak with a travel medicine expert before you travel. Its important for your own safety as measles is a severe respiratory illness that can lead to pneumonia and even death. Its also important to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of illness to others where you travel to and prevent the risk of bringing it back home to others. We now live in a global society with more and more people traveling internationally. Fewer people are choosing not to vaccinate their children which is contributing to the spread of measles and other vaccine preventable diseases. Many people fear that measles leads to autism. Countless studies including large meta-anyalsis studies have proved there is no link between the autism and vaccines, specifically MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella). Everyone should have 2 doses, 28 days apart of the MMR vaccine. If that is not the case or immune status is unknown a simple blood test can test for immunity and if needed the MMR vaccine can be given.
Before you travel check at least with your primary care provider to make sure routine vaccines are up to date and if still have questions or you may need other vaccines please contact us at White Mountain Travel Health to schedule a consultation.
