An unvaccinated New Mexico man, recently deceased, turned out to be infected with measles. His death could be the second of an in progress epidemic which overthrew more than 160 people in at least nine states.
The official cause of the death remains under investigation by the office of the New Mexico of the medical investigator, although his Confirmed laboratories that the very contagious respiratory virus was present in the man of the county of Lea. He did not ask for medical care before his death, and no additional information has been disclosed about his age or identity.
Man's death occurs just over a week after Texas Health managers announced that a The school child has died In the county of Gaines – the first death linked to measles reported in America since 2015.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but the drop in vaccination rates has led to periodic epidemics since then, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the wake of the death of the County of Lea, the deputy epidemiologist of the New Mexico State urged residents to obtain the measles vaccine of measles, or MMR, calling it “the best protection against this serious disease”.
Of the case reported so far95% were in non -vaccinated persons or people with unknown vaccination status, according to the CDC.
Texas brought the weight of the epidemic with 159 cases and 22 hospitalizations reported on Tuesday. The county of Lea of New Mexico, just through the western border of Texas, reported 10 cases from Thursday.
South California reported a case in a Baby of the County of Orange Who landed at Los Angeles International Airport on February 19 after a trip to Asia.
“Measles is a very contagious virus that can cause a serious illness such as pneumonia, swelling of the brain and even death, especially young children who are not protected,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, Health of Health of Orange County. “In recent years, 25% of measles identified in the United States have been hospitalized.”
According to the CDC, cases have also been reported in Alaska, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.
The epidemic has proven to be an early test for the new secretary for health and social services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vaccine.
He has aroused criticism from certain epidemiologists In order not to have highly urged all Americans to receive a ROR vaccine as soon as the epidemic began in mid-January.
In a Monday declaration, Kennedy said that vaccines “not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.”
He then declared that “in 1960 – before the introduction of the vaccine – improvements in sanitation and nutrition had eliminated 98% of the deaths of measles”. He said that a good nutrition remains “better defense against most chronic and infectious diseases” and that the decision to be vaccinated is “personal”.
