About Careers MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Super Bowl Alert Following Warning of Measles Outbreak in Arizona

by Himabindu Venkatakrishnan on January 30, 2015 at 1:20 PM
Font : A-A+

 Super Bowl Alert Following Warning of Measles Outbreak in Arizona

After a warning of possibility of 1,000 people being exposed to a measles outbreak, as Arizona prepares to host this weekend's Super Bowl, health authorities in the state are on alert.

Arizona's Department of Health recommended that any unvaccinated child or adult who had been in contact with infected people to spend 21 days in isolation at home to curb the risk of spreading the virus.

Advertisement

Anyone deemed at risk of infection has been offered doses of immune globulin, which would not prevent them from getting measles but can reduce symptoms if administered within six days, authorities said.

Measles is highly contagious and can be spread through the air without physical contact. Infection usually begins with a fever, followed by a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis and a rash.
Advertisement

Complications from measles can include blindness, hearing loss, pneumonia and death. One to two children of every 1,000 infected with measles will die from it, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is a critical point in this outbreak," Arizona Department of Health Services Director Will Humble said in a statement.

"If the public health system and medical community are able to identify every single susceptible case and get them into isolation, we have a chance of stopping this outbreak here."

Humble said more than 1,000 people were believed to have come into some contact with seven measles cases confirmed in Arizona so far.

The Arizona warnings come as the state's capital Phoenix welcomes visitors for this weekend's finale to the American football season, the Super Bowl, between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.

Sunday's showpiece -- the biggest event on the American sporting calendar -- is the climax of a week-long jamboree whose epicenter is a swathe of downtown Phoenix dubbed Super Bowl Central featuring exhibits, beer gardens, free concerts and nightly firework shows.

Local media reports estimate that a million visitors, many of them from out of state, will throng the complex of attractions during Super Bowl week.

Eradication means measles is no longer native to the United States, but there were 644 cases of the disease in the US last year -- a big jump from 173 cases in 2013.

The spike coincides with an anti-vaccination trend that has emerged in recent years, particularly in North America.

Opponents fear the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine causes autism, even though an array of studies have ruled out any link.

The latest outbreak has centered around the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim outside Los Angeles.

Four of the patients diagnosed in Arizona are members of one unvaccinated family who visited the California resort.

Source: AFP
Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Latest Tropical Disease News

Oral Cholera Vaccine Launched in India by Pharma Giants
Mumbai's TechInvention Lifecare and South Korean Eubiologics team up to introduce oral cholera vaccine in India after successful phase III clinical trial.
Evolving Threat of Dengue Virus in India
Scientists have found that the dengue virus has become more severe in India, highlighting the urgent need for vaccines that target the strains found in the country.
 Watch Out for Acute Kidney Disease as a Complication of Malaria
It is important to consider malarial infection in cases of acute kidney injury in someone with a travel history from endemic areas to improve treatment outcomes.
India's Malaria Vaccine Gets the Green Light for First Time in Ghana
Ghana approves the use of the University of Oxford's malaria vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), becoming the first country to adopt the new vaccine.
 Deadly Dengue Virus Hijacks Mosquito Saliva to Spread Sickness
The dengue virus combines molecules from its RNA with mosquito saliva to foil the human immune system and spread dengue fever and related diseases.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

Super Bowl Alert Following Warning of Measles Outbreak in Arizona Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests