Keep you and your family safe from the measles and other infectious diseases by taking precautions before traveling. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends you visit a doctor or nurse 4-6 weeks prior to travel. With an increase in measles outbreaks the CDC strongly recommends making sure everyone has a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) shot at least 4 weeks prior to traveling.

In the US alone from January 1 to March 29, 2015- 178 people from 17 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles. This past January, national news outlets spread word of a measles outbreak that began at Disneyland in California. This breaking story was shocking to many, as measles had previously been declared eliminated in the U.S. in the year 2000. Each year, unvaccinated people get infected while in other countries and bring the disease into the US and spread it to others. Measles cases and outbreaks still occur in countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. Worldwide, about 20 million people get measles each year; about 146,000 die.

“The measles outbreak raises concerns about vaccination rates across the country and how both children and adults should best protect themselves from getting measles,” said Vail Valley Medical Center’s President and CEO Doris Kirchner. “Our experts agree vaccinations are critical to community health.”

A quick Internet search will reveal that one of the reasons parents choose not to vaccinate their children is due to fears of immunizations causing autism. This stems from a 1998 British study by Andrew Wakefield that concluded there might be a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism. This study was later widely discredited and Wakefield was stripped of his medical license.

Wakefield’s refuted study “really hurt society” in that it allowed for misinformation to influence the general public’s perception of immunizations, downplaying the serious risks associated with not getting vaccinated.

The FACTS about Measles provided by the CDC

How is measles spread?

Measles spread easily through the air by breathing, coughing, or sneezing. It is so contagious that anyone who is exposed to it and is not immune will probably get the disease.

What are the symptoms of measles?

• High fever (may spike to more than 104°F)
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes
• Rash breaks out 3-5 days after symptoms begin

How to protect yourself from the measles

The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from measles is by getting vaccinated. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine protects against all 3 diseases. Two doses of MMR vaccine provide 97% protection against measles. People who cannot show that they were vaccinated as children and who have never had measles should be vaccinated. If you are unsure you were vaccinated as a child another dose of the MMR vaccine will not harm you.

What to keep an eye out for upon your return home

Watch your health for 3 weeks after you return from traveling, especially internationally. If you or your child gets sick with a rash and/ or fever, call your doctor. Be sure to tell your doctor that you traveled and where, and if you have received the MMR vaccine.

For more information on the measles and other infectious diseases, along with diseases that are prevenant in locations you are traveling to visit the CDCs Traveler’s Health website at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel .

At Shepard Medical we have spent the past 25+ years investing in “Infection Protection” education and products. Learn more about how we are continually growing to help spread knowledge on infection protection! 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally reported on the discovery of a new virus, most likely transmitted through ticks. Bourbon virus belongs to a group of viruses called thogotoviruses. Viruses in this group are found all over the world.

The CDC believes this new virus contributed to the death of a previously healthy man in his 50s.“We do not yet fully know how people become infected with Bourbon virus. However, based on what we know about similar viruses, it is likely that Bourbon virus is spread through tick or other insect bites,” the CDC says.

The CDC studied the details in the progression of the main’s illness.  This case was the first time the virus has been shown to cause human illness in the United States.  “At this time, we do not know if the virus might be found in other areas of the United States,” the CDC stated.

Because there has been only one case identified thus far, scientists are still learning about possible symptoms caused by this new virus. In the one person who was diagnosed with Bourbon virus symptoms included fever, fatigue, anorexia, nausea, vomiting and a maculopapular rash. The person also had thrombocytopenia and leukopenia; low blood counts for cells that fight infection and help prevent bleeding.

“The Kansas  man had received multiple tick bites in the days before becoming ill. After test results for many infectious diseases came back negative a sample of the patient’s blood was sent to CDC for additional testing,” the CDC reported.  Using Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD), the CDC determined that they in fact discovered a new virus.

CDC is working with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and other partners to help identify other potential cases of Bourbon virus.  They are investigating symptoms and ways people might be getting infected to help understand the virus and then determine ways to prevent and control the new virus.

“The discovery of Bourbon virus, as well as the recent discoveries of Heartland virus in Missouri and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome viruses in China, leads CDC researchers to believe that other undiscovered viruses are likely causing people to get sick,” an official from the CDC stated.

In result of so little knowledge of the virus, there is no vaccine or drug to prevent or treat Bourbon virus.  Preventing tick or insect bites is the best way to prevent infection of tick borne illnesses.

• Protect Yourself by Preventing Tick Bites
• Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• Walk in the center of trails
• Use insect repellents that contain 20 to 30% DEET on skin or clothing.  Follow product instructions.
• Use products that contain 0.5% Permethrin on clothing, boots, pants, tents.
• Bath or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off or more easily remove ticks.
• Conduct a full-body tick check.  Parents should check their children.
• Check your pets.
• Tumble clothes in the dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.
• Create a Tick-safe Zone in Your Yard
• The CDC also recommends some simple ways to reduce tick populations in your yard.
• Remove leaf litter.
• Clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns.
• Place a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
• Mow the lawn frequently.
• Stack wood neatly and in a dry area (discourages rodents).
• Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges and trees.
• Discourage unwelcome animals (such as deer, raccoons, and stray dogs) from entering your yard by constructing fences.
• Remove old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide.

You can find additional information on Bourbon virus, visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dvbd/bourbon/index.html. Information in this article provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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