Disease Up-Date

We did not know measles had almost disappeared either:

There have been 208 cases of measles reported in Quebec since May 1 and a total of 254 since the beginning of the year. That's a huge number, considering that there are typically only 11 cases a year in all of Canada, says the Public Health Agency of Canada.

This is now the largest measles outbreak in Canada since measles was essentially eradicated from Canada in the mid-1990s.

The U.S. is having one of its worst years yet for measles, as well. Health officials there say 118 cases have been reported so far this year -- the highest number this early in the year since 1996. The U.S. normally sees about 50 cases of measles in a year.

A Newshogger noticed it:

I admit that, being old enough to have had the measles as a kid and that it wasn’t entirely unusual at the time, I was quite surprised to discover the disease had been all but eradicated from North America over a decade ago. To watch it make a comeback due to a deliberate fabrication of a unscrupulous hack combined with the ignorant boosting of said hack by certain celebrities all preying on the fears of parents drives my rage up a few pegs.

Us as well, w/ one exception: We contracted measles (& still have a pockmark or two to prove it) in early 1980 (aged 26) as a result of doing the Worm w/ a bunch of college students while accompanying the Angry Samoans to a gig at UC Irvine, & indirectly as a result of the home schooling (have not had any of the other "childhood diseases," w/ the possible exception of rubella, AKA "German* Measles") that helped make us the cynical & alienated creep we are today.

"Facts:"

An outbreak of almost 30,000 cases in 1990 led to a renewed push for vaccination and the addition of a second vaccine to the recommended schedule. Fewer than 200 cases have been reported each year since 1997, and the disease is no longer considered endemic.

Gone, yet not forgotten. Added frightening fact: The croaker we consulted post-measles (when we had the strength to get off the couch) advised us to "take it easy" on the boozin' & other wild activities for about a yr., as adults who contract measles have a 1-in-100 chance of developing Multiple Sclerosis. Yeesh. So far we seem to be OK. Physically.

So, Canadians, stand on guard. And don't breathe.

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*What the hell? What did the Germans ever do to deserve this calumny?