Measles outbreak in NZ masked by symptoms of Swine Flu.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Shows how much these doctors really understand the symptomatology of measles. I just can't understand HOW measles could actually look like swine flu to anyone who REALLY knew the difference.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/07/04/1245bb485e6a



Flu symptoms may mask measles

Medical officials in Christchurch say swine flu symptoms may be masking that people have measles.

There is a measles outbreak in the city, with four Christchurch Boys' High School students confirmed as having the disease, and six other teenagers and children suspected of having it.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Cheryl Brunton says measles and flu symptoms are similar.

She says the early symptoms of measles, such as cough, headache and a runny nose, are also the early symptoms of swine flu.

She says especially before the measles rash appears, the symptoms can easily be confused with those of influenza.

Dr Brunton is expecting more cases of measles to emerge, because the four boys confirmed as having it have been in contact with many people.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10582533




Measles outbreak in Christchurch

9:59AM Saturday Jul 04, 2009
Health officials are working to contain a measles outbreak in Christchurch.
Four teenagers at Christchurch Boys' High School have caught the potentially lethal infection, with a fifth case suspected.

The boys are all in isolation at home. Their family and friends have also been told by authorities to stay home for several days unless they are immunised against the childhood disease.

Canterbury medical officer of health Cheryl Brunton is expecting more cases in the coming days.

"It is an outbreak of a highly contagious disease and we expect that there will be many more cases associated with this outbreak," she told Radio New Zealand.

"Just talking to the cases and their parents that we know about, we know that they've had contact with many other children."

There was a small measles outbreak at a Christchurch pre-school last year, prompting health authorities to remind parents of the importance of ensuring their children were fully immunised against the disease with the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination.

Yup, one was vaccinated, and got it from the vaccine, and the second child got it from the vaccinated one, who got it from the vaccine.

Gee. Wonder why they don't mention that wee morsel?



Nationally, only 82 per cent of children are fully vaccinated against measles. Rates of 95 per cent are required to prevent outbreaks.

Measles can spread through the air by breathing, coughing and sneezing. It can cause a rash, high fever, a runny nose and sore, watery eyes. It can lead to pneumonia, ear infections, brain damage and can occasionally be fatal.

At the time of last year's outbreak, Canterbury medical officer of health Alistair Humphrey said many people had forgotten the potential severity of the illness.

"Measles is not like chickenpox where pretty much everybody survives. It does kill people."

The incubation period is seven to 18 days and people with the disease can be infectious for up to four days before the first symptoms occur.

And how often does it kill, and in whom? Those with pre-existing conditions mainly....

So much medical department misinformation, but hey, that's "normal", isn't it?

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

So how many of the kids in this new "outbreak" were also vaccinated?

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/2566930/Measles-outbreak-at-boys-school

Measles outbreak at Boy's school. 6.7.2009

An outbreak of measles at a Christchurch school could have spread to the wider community before the potentially lethal disease was picked up, doctors say.

Officials said New Zealand's low immunisation rates and the 10 years since the last spate of the virus meant it was "overdue" for an epidemic.

Four Christchurch Boys' High School students were identified as having the contagious disease last week. Three of the four were admitted to hospital. Another six boys are thought to have developed measles since.

The virus was "very highly contagious", Medical Officer of Health Dr Cheryl Brunton said.

The disease had an incubation period of 10 to 12 days and those infected were contagious for about 24 hours before showing symptoms.

This meant carriers could be unwittingly spreading the disease to the wider public during the school holidays over the next two weeks, Brunton said.

"It spreads very, very rapidly," she said.

"The people who are unwell are being isolated at home and their close contacts are being advised to stay at home for several days unless they have had two MMR immunisations."

Measles is a viral infection that can lead to ear infections, pneumonia and/or diarrhoea. It can be fatal.

It is usually preventable through immunisation, although Brunton said only one of the 10 infected students had been immunised.

"I was slightly surprised at the number of boys not immunised," she said.

A decline in immunisation rates meant "herd immunity" where there were enough immune people that the disease could not easily spread had also declined.

"We haven't had a national measles epidemic for 10 years. You could say we're overdue. Measles has always had this nasty potential. Last time there were deaths."

Brunton said all those infected were year 9 to year 11 students 13 to 15-year-olds.
There had been two other cases of measles recently detected in similar aged people in Christchurch.

The boys hospitalised were "unwell enough for a number of diagnoses to be considered", including meningococcal meningitis, she said.

Measles vaccine was available in the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination.
"All parents, particularly those concerned that their children could be at risk in this outbreak, should check their children's immunisation record and if they have not been immunised contact their GP and arrange for it to be done."

MEASLES FACTS

Symptoms: Fever, conjunctivitis (red eyes), runny nose and small irregular, bright red spots with a small white speck, on the inside of the mouth. Red rash appears on body on the third to seventh day and lasts for up to a week.

Timeline: Fever 10-12 days after exposure. Rash two to four days after fever. Onset of fever and rash may vary from 7-20 days.

Diagnosis: Blood test, throat swab or urine test.

Spread: Airborne droplets from sneezing, coughing or from direct contact with nasal or throat secretions.

Infectiousness: Highly infectious. One day before start of symptoms to four days after rash appears.

Treatment: Symptoms treated only.

Prevention: Immunisation is 99 per cent effective. Immunised children occasionally still develop measles, but it is usually less severe. Most adults considered immune because of previous infection.
[/quote]

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

See that? Last time there were deaths?

Well, on morning report this morning, she said there were NO deaths in the 1997 measles epidemic.

Listen here: http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national/mnr/2009/07/06/swine_flu_symptoms_could_be_masking_measles

[3monkeys]

The news story the other night (last night?) said "the majority of the cases are in unvaccinated or people who had only one injection"

I wonder why they dont say "vaccinated people have caught it" (must hvae since the majority and not ALL were invaccinated), and I always thought the first injection was supposed to give immunity and the 2nd was just a precaution more than anything?

[Spy]

What a gem collection. :LMAO:


Measles is not like chickenpox where pretty much everybody survives

Don't you guys have CP vaccine in NZ? Everyone who vaccinates for CP knows it's a killer disease. :giggle:


Treatment: Symptoms treated only

I guess this is where it is similar to swine flu? And everything else. :rolleyes:


the majority of the cases are in unvaccinated or people who had only one injection

That's all I ever had. :giggle:

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Don't you guys have CP vaccine in NZ? Everyone who vaccinates for CP knows it's a killer disease. :giggle:

Nope. No chickenpox vaccine here :giggle: :alien:

[Spy]

Nope. No chickenpox vaccine here :giggle: :alien:
Ah. That's why you mostly survive. :D

[MinorityView]

Odd how dangerous CP has become in the U.S. Now if someone comes down with this dire disease they call out the police! Or something like that.

[ZGT Mummy]

There was a small measles outbreak at a Christchurch pre-school last year, prompting health authorities to remind parents of the importance of ensuring their children were fully immunised against the disease with the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination.
Yup, one was vaccinated, and got it from the vaccine, and the second child got it from the vaccinated one, who got it from the vaccine.

This info may be elsewhere but I'll ask here anyway. I'm still trying to build my knowledge of all these things, so how is it possible to get measles from a vaccine? My knowledge of medical "stuff" is pretty limited so dumb man's speak would be good :D

I'm on another forum where they're just going crazy over this (driving me insane too) but they are going on about how dangerous measles is compared to say CP. Is this the case? How dangerous is it really? Why are these current teenagers in hospital? Are they really that sick? How could it be mistaken for meningitis?

Just all questions floating round in my head :D

[justine]

I would love to know how the outbreak started and how many did have the MMR. That would be very interesting. ;)

Justine

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

This info may be elsewhere but I'll ask here anyway. I'm still trying to build my knowledge of all these things, so how is it possible to get measles from a vaccine? My knowledge of medical "stuff" is pretty limited so dumb man's speak would be good :D The MMR is a vaccine made from weakened live viruses, so you can "catch" the diseases from the vaccine particularly if your immune system is weaker.


I'm on another forum where they're just going crazy over this (driving me insane too) but they are going on about how dangerous measles is compared to say CP. You mean, all the people with their kids already vaccinated are wasting time being hysterical witterers? :giggle:


Is this the case?Depends where you live. As MV says in USA, chickenpox is considered a killer disease.


How dangerous is it really? Why are these current teenagers in hospital?Probably because doctors these days don't really know how to diagnose measles. If you've read my first book, you will know that our second son had measles twice, and the second time he had them, the doctor was sure it was meningitis, and I thought he was absolutely crazy, but he did. Why? because he was whining all the time and pulling his ear!!! :LMAO: None of the usual 'manual' checks, looking for neck stiffness and that stuff came up for meningitis. No head ache, no nothing. Even the hospital were somewhat mystified at my doctor's paranoia.


Are they really that sick? How could it be mistaken for meningitis? In my opinion, only by someone who really didn't know what measles is all about.

of course kids with measles are going to sleep and appear "somnolent"! I do that, even with a common cold. But I've seen hysterical doctors consider normall "somnolence" with a cold, potential meningitis.

One of the problems right now, is that we've come off the back of a meningitis epidemic, which is actually still going around, and there are still cases and deaths (though - get this - there have been NO deaths in any unvaccinated children :rolleyes: ) so meningtis is still the primary paranoia resident in the frontal lobotomies of the medical profession.

since they are now conditioned to see meningitis at all times, it's little wonder that measles and cold qualify with doctors wanting to jump in at the slightest sign of "somnolence". They have lost all concept of proportion, balance and good clinical analysis in my opinion.

At the first thought of measles, when the fever is there, you look in the mouth, and usually there are little white grains that look like salt on a tiny red spot. These are called Koplik spots and for parents who know what measles is about, these are pretty much definitive for measles.

If you know your stuff, you will not be tripped up by hysterical mothers, or doctors, who don't know what they are talking about.

In the measles forum, there is a thread on rash type diseases which tells you how to tell the difference between them.


Just all questions floating round in my head :DYes, and that's great. The more you learn and read from medical texts and medical articles, the less you will be affected by ignorant hype like this.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

I would love to know how the outbreak started and how many did have the MMR. That would be very interesting. ;)

Justine

Apparently 9 were unvaccinated, and one had one shot. So they say.

[Spy]

How could it be mistaken for meningitis?
In my opinion, only by someone who really didn't know what measles is all about.
Or meningitis, for that fact. :giggle:

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

The problem to me, is when doctors get hyped up and see "reds under the beds" in a medical sense that is ...