Auckland measles top 500 cases

By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews

Officials with the Auckland Regional Public Health Service have reported some 100 additional measles cases during the past week.

On August 13, officials were reporting 410 cases and this morning the total has risen to 507 with some 50 cases reported just over the weekend.

Nationally, New Zealand’s measles total has reached 639 cases, including 237 (37.1%) hospitalizations after another 106 cases were reported during the past week.

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This is the fourth measles outbreak, and the largest, in New Zealand since 2009. There were 248 confirmed cases in 2009, 596 in 2011, and 280 in 2014.

Measles and SSPE: Progressive, disabling, and fatal

Measles symptoms include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. It can cause serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). Measles infection in a pregnant woman can lead to miscarriage, premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby. Measles is easily spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes. People can also get sick when they come in contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person.

How contagious is measles? Answer: Very