Measles Induced Death in Eastеrn Europe

Abstract

The infectious disease of measles is becoming a rarity in the member states of the European Union. After the implementation of the mandatory immunization calendar, cases of measles among children rarely encounter while those that have been registered usually pass lightly and without any significant complications. We present two cases of a measles-type infection with a fatal outcome for two children - 4 and 11 years of age respectively - who had not been immunized by the time of the event and who developed an unfolding clinical picture with the respective complications. In a number of countries in the European Union (as well as within some ethnical groups, the Roma population included), standard-type vaccinations may appear to be problematic. The most frequently encountered complications, resulting from such “blunders”, are pneumonia and encephalitis but controlling the clinical symptoms is not always possible because of: 1) late medical intervention due to the poor knowledge ability of the respective ethnical group (overdue contact with the specialized medical personnel), as well as 2) the superposed bacterial infections which unmask the initial diagnosis. Obtaining a clear picture of the symptoms in such patients is difficult. In the rare cases, when the therapy is rewarded with some success, patients remain partial or permanent invalids because of the irreversible damage to the brain and/or the functions of the lungs.

Keywords

• measles
• immunization
• pneumonia
• lethal outcome