Long-term dangers of measles include 'immune amnesia,' brain swelling

It’s not yet known how many people have gotten sick in the Texas measles outbreak, but there are at least 215 confirmed cases since late January.

Measles isn’t just a rash and a fever.

The disease outbreak in West Texas that continues to grow has sent 29 people, most of them small children, to the hospital. Two people have died, including a 6-year-old child. 

It’s not yet known how many people have gotten sick in the outbreak — there are at least 223 confirmed cases, but experts believe hundreds more people may have been infected since late January. As public health officials try to slow the spread of the highly contagious virus, some experts are worried about longer-term complications.

Measles is unlike other childhood viruses that come and go. In severe cases it can cause pneumonia. About 1 in 1,000 patients develops encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, and there are 1 or 2 deaths per 1,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The virus can wipe out the immune system, a complication called “immune amnesia.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/measles-immune-system-brain-swelling-long-term-rcna195918

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