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Article ASM Measles and Immune Amnesia
Article ASM Measles and Immune Amnesia
Measles Symptoms
Infected individuals show symptoms 10-12 days after exposure, including
fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, Koplik spots, and rash. Typically,
measles infection is self-limiting and requires nothing more than palliative care
to treat these symptoms. Immune-mediated clearance of the virus results in
recovery and life-long immunity to the disease.
More serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death
can occur during acute infection. Statistics show that 2-3 out of every 1000
cases will result in brain damage or death. In 2017 alone, the WHO estimated
that measles and its related secondary infections were responsible for
approximately 110,000 deaths worldwide. Most of these were in children less
than 5 years of age.
The number of T cells and B cells significantly decreases during the acute
stage of measles infection, but there is a rapid return to normal WBC levels
after the virus is cleared from the system. This observation masked what was
really going on until researchers were able to evaluate the qualitative
composition of recovered lymphocyte populations. We now know that the
memory T-cells and B-cells that are produced immediately following infection
are dramatically different from those that existed before the measles infection.
Not only have pre-existing immune memory cells been erased, but there has
been a massive production of new lymphocytes. And these have only one
memory. Measles. Thus, the host is left totally immune to MV and significantly
vulnerable to all other secondary infections. But for how long?
We now know that the memory T-cells and B-cells that are produced immediately
following infection are dramatically different from those that existed before the measles
infection.
Figure 3. An infant with the typical measles rash.
Source: http://cliniquecme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/baby-measles-vaccine.jpg