Measles News and Research

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Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus. It remains a leading cause of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. An estimated 197 000 people died from measles in 2007, mostly children under the age of five.

Measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family. The measles virus normally grows in the cells that line the back of the throat and the lungs. It is a human disease not known to occur in animals.

Measles cases on the rise in Europe

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is a sharp rise in the number of measles cases across Europe in the first six months of this year. Measles has affected over 41,000 individuals and killed 37, says the WHO.

20 Aug 2018

Researchers use super-resolution microscope to unravel secrets of deadly Nipah virus

The deadly Nipah virus and others like it assemble themselves in a much more haphazard manner than previously thought, new UBC research has found. The discovery could allow scientists to develop more effective vaccines and rule out many approaches to fighting these viruses.

16 Aug 2018

Genetic sequencing method identifies pathogens behind respiratory illnesses in Uganda

A study led by researchers at Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the Department of Medicine at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center reports on the use of a genetic sequencing method to identify viral pathogens behind unexplained respiratory illnesses in Uganda over a five-year period.

10 Aug 2018

Mandatory vaccinations for children stopped in Italy

The Italian government has removed the necessity for all children to be vaccinated against 10 important infectious diseases before they can join school or day care. This has shocked and angered the medical and scientific community.

7 Aug 2018

New study finds key factors behind differences in immune responses

Age, sex, and specific human genetic variants are the key factors behind differences between immune responses among healthy humans, finds a study of 1,000 individuals carried out by EPFL and the Pasteur Institute.

6 Aug 2018

Vaccine schedule is a must-have on child’s back-to-school checklist

With the start of the school year just around the corner, it is easy to overlook one of the most important things on any back-to-school checklist - making sure your child is vaccinated. Vaccinations protect children from serious diseases, ultimately protecting families, schools and communities by way of safe and effective immunizations.

1 Aug 2018

Research provides new insights about when booster meningitis vaccines are needed

Scientists are indicating that children in Burkina Faso who were vaccinated against group A meningococcal meningitis and septicemia between the ages of 1-4 years in 2010, could need a booster dose of the vaccine as early as this year to ensure they remain protected.

27 Jul 2018

Mayo discovery could enable development of personalized ovarian, brain cancer treatments

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered that a molecular communication pathway – thought to be defective in cancer – is a key player in determining the effectiveness of measles virus oncolytic cancer treatment in ovarian and aggressive brain cancers.

17 May 2018

UTHealth experts reveal how everyone can make a difference in infection control

When it comes to the examination room at your health care clinic, you might think that avoiding catching the flu or other more deadly viruses is out of your hands, so to speak.

4 May 2018

Scientists use cryo-ET techniques to capture images of measles viruses

Researchers have been able to capture images of measles viruses as they emerge from infected cells, using state of the art cryo-electron tomography techniques

3 May 2018

Researchers develop low-cost, portable laboratory on a phone to detect infections

Washington State University researchers have developed a low-cost, portable laboratory on a phone that works nearly as well as clinical laboratories to detect common viral and bacterial infections.

24 Apr 2018

Meningitis in Newborns: What to Look Out For

Claire is Evidence & Policy Manager at the UK and international charity Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF). She discusses the signs and symptoms of meningitis in newborns, and the aims for the recent diagnostic eTool developed by the MRF.

24 Apr 2018

ECDC analysis highlights measles vaccination gaps in teenagers and young adults

ECDC data show that up to 80% of teenagers and young adults who contracted measles in 2017 had not been vaccinated. ECDC analysis of sub-national data indicates that even countries with high overall levels of vaccine coverage may have groups that are unvaccinated.

23 Apr 2018

Computer-based intervention to increase parents’ knowledge about HPV vaccination

It's been almost 30 years since Salt-N-Pepa implored Americans to set their puritanical misgivings aside and talk about sex, and yet we still struggle with the subject; that fact is abundantly clear when you consider national HPV vaccination rates.

16 Apr 2018

Legacy of social and political factors may be responsible for vaccine hesitancy

A legacy of social and political factors rather than bad parenting may be influencing people's decisions not to vaccinate their children, according to a study from the University of Waterloo.

9 Apr 2018

Phase I clinical trial of HIV vaccines to begin in the U.S.

A Phase I clinical trial testing the safety of vaccines that might have the potential to prevent HIV infection will begin this month at four sites in the United States, marking the latest step in a three-decade quest at UMass Medical School to harness the power of DNA vaccines in addressing a major global health threat.

28 Mar 2018

Measles infection in early childhood could contribute to later COPD

In a new Respirology study, having measles—a highly contagious respiratory infection—during early childhood was linked with an increased risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in middle age, but only in adults with asthma and a considerable history of smoking.

21 Mar 2018

Measles alert after two passengers with the disease fly into US

Vulnerable persons who have not been vaccinated for measles and have been through airports in Newark, New Jersey, Detroit and Memphis this month are being warned about the possible risk of measles by the health officials. They have announced that two air passengers from overseas were confirmed to have had measles and were travelling via these airports.

18 Mar 2018

Misconceptions about MMR vaccine found to influence usage of Zika vaccine

People's willingness to use a Zika vaccine when it's available will be influenced by how they weigh the risks associated with the disease and the vaccine, but also by their misconceptions about other vaccines, a new study has found.

15 Mar 2018

Discovery may lead to effective research and better treatments for Ebola, other viral diseases

University of Alberta researchers have found the Ebola polymerase (enzyme), which may lead to more effective research and better treatments for the often fatal infection, and other related viral diseases.

8 Mar 2018