Measles weaken the immune system for years

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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MunichA measles disease in itself is no trivial matter. Now it has been shown that the viruses also weaken the immune system for years - sometimes with fatal consequences.

The reason: The pathogens put the immunological memory out of action - more precisely, those immune cells that recognize known pathogens and then mobilize the immune system. Researchers working with Michael Mina from Princeton University describe this phenomenon as “immunological amnesia”. The weakening of the immune system is problematic because it does not last - as previously thought - only for a month or two, but for years.

"Specifically, this means that if a person gets measles, they may later die of another disease that would otherwise not have been fatal," explains Jessica Metcalf, co-author of the study.

Loss of memory in the immune system

Dutch researchers led by Rik L. de Swart from Erasmus University in Rotterdam had previously found out that the measles virus destroys so-called T lymphocytes, which form the immunological memory against known pathogens. The T cells return after about a month. Instead of responding to other pathogens, the memory cells only react to measles viruses. Apparently, this amnesia of the immune system lasts two to three years.

Mina's team found this out when it analyzed the death dates of children between the ages of one and nine in Great Britain and Denmark, and between one and 14 years in the United States. “In regions where the children were well vaccinated, the death rate from infections was 30 to 50 percent lower,” Mina told The results of the investigation therefore suggested that a measles vaccination not only protects against measles, but also indirectly against other diseases.

Considerable risk of infection

Measles viruses are extremely contagious. They are transmitted via droplet infection. Most of the sick suffer only from flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough and runny nose and later from the typical red rash. However, a small proportion also develop complications such as pneumonia or even encephalitis, which can leave behind permanent disabilities or even be fatal.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set itself the goal of eliminating measles worldwide by 2020 at the latest. To do this, at least 95 percent of the world's population must be immune to the virus, either through a vaccination or previous illness. Germany is still too far removed from this in many regions. So there are always larger outbreaks like the last one in Berlin. (cf)

Sources:

Michael J. Mina: et al .: Long-term measles-induced immunomodulation increases overall childhood infectious disease mortality, Science 8 May 2015: Vol. 348 no.6235 pp. 694-699

A deadly shadow: Measles may weaken immune system up to three years, 7 May 2015 Press release University of princeton

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