In The Politics of Autism, I look at the discredited notion that vaccines cause autism. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms have helped spread this dangerous myth. Measles can kill.
Measles has taken the life of an international flight attendant five months after she first contracted the disease, prompting health officials to warn again that this seemingly childhood disease can be dangerous for adults.
Rotem Amitai, 43, who died Tuesday, traveled from New York to Tel Aviv in March, according to The Times of Israel. A few days after landing in Israel, she developed a fever.
Authorities don’t know if the mother of three was infected on the flight or which country she was in when she contracted the disease.
Doctors said she had brain swelling (encephalitis), which is a complication of measles.Medical XPress:
Amitai’s death has put a spotlight on the record-breaking measles outbreak in the United States and around the globeTrusted Source — as well as the dangers the virus can pose to adults.
The World Health Organization said Tuesday that measles cases had nearly tripled globally during the first seven months of the year compared to the same period in 2018.
The global body warned against "misinformation about vaccines".
The so-called anti-vax movement—driven by fraudulent claims linking the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella to a risk of autism in children—has gained traction.
So far this year, 364,808 measles cases have been reported around the world, compared to 129,239 cases during the first seven months a year earlier—the highest registered since 2006.
Amitai's death was the first related to measles in Israel this year, following two last year, according to the ministry.
The highly contagious disease can be entirely prevented through a two-dose vaccine.
Amitai had only received one dose, Israeli media reported.
