Measles Outbreak In Tokyo

[Mulboyne]

Kyodo: Measles outbreak hits Tokyo, vicinity
Japan's southern Kanto region, including Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture, has been hit by a measles outbreak, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases said Tuesday, warning of a bigger outbreak toward summer. Yoshinori Yasui, a senior researcher at the institute, urged people with measles symptoms such as a rash and fever "not to go to drop-ins if the measles breaks out in schools and communities"...The number of measles patients reached 26 in the week through April 1, the highest for any week since last September, according to a survey covering 3,000 pediatric hospitals across Japan. Of the 26, 11 were from Saitama Prefecture and nine from Tokyo, the institute said...An outbreak of measles forced a public high school in Tokyo's Nerima Ward to postpone an enrollment ceremony earlier this month, and a total of 123 public-school students were suspended from attending school in Tokyo between January and March due to the disease, according to the local authorities.

More measles here.

[Ke11iente]

I had the unfortunate cooincidence of coming down with a bad cold this past week, right as every college administration in the Kanto area was freaking out about the outbreak on college campuses. I heard Sophia U. had to close for 3 days last week due to the outbreak. Anyway, even though I assured everyone who knew that I was sick that in America, you have to get the full vaccine course and show PROOF of vaccination before they will let you attend school, every single Japanese person I ran into URGED me to go to the hospital because I might have measles. I finally went, only to be told that I did, in fact, have a cold (surprise surprise) and was given a prescription for some useless medicine to help with naseau because I threw up ONE time at the very start of the illness 2 or 3 days ago.

[ichigo partygirl]

"..The number of measles patients reached 26 in the week through April 1, the highest for any week since last September, according to a survey covering 3,000 pediatric hospitals across Japan..."
Sheesh talk about overeacting! An outbreak is when 26 kids out of a class or a preschool get the measles.

[GomiGirl]

Isn't measles a childhool illness that if you have it once, you don't get again?

[CrankyBastard]

It's like the guns, you get it once, it's unfortunate.
You get it twice, it's stupidity.

[IkemenTommy]

Isn't measles a childhool illness that if you have it once, you don't get again?

I was just thinking along the same line but before blurring it out, I realized that it was chicken pox. Measles was almost wiped out off the face of the planet at one point but it made a come back. More of it might be on the trusty ol' wikipedia.

[Mulboyne]

The other FG thread link in the original post shows how the measles problem came about. About half the people born between April 2, 1979 and Oct. 1, 1987 missed out on measles vaccinations. The recent cases are mostly young adults, not children, hence the concern. The last outbreak in 2001 saw 300,000 affected and there appear to be concerns that this year it could be worse if they don't catch it early.

[Charles]

I had the unfortunate cooincidence of coming down with a bad cold this past week...

Well now I feel much better, I've had a terrible cold for the last 5 days. Misery loves company.

[kurohinge1]

Measles have become another Japanese export, it seems:

Some 130 Japanese tourists quarantined in Canada

Japanese students quarantined in Banff

I just hope my outlaws don't "gift" us any measles when they arrive here from Japan on Sunday.

[Bucky]

Spreading it around the world

Some 130 Japanese tourists quarantined in Canada



Source: Xinhuanet | 05-29-2007 14:53

OTTAWA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Canadian health officials have quarantined around 130 Japanese tourists in a southwestern resort after one sick member of the group tested positive for measles, local media reported on Monday.
The group, mostly high school students, were quarantined in the Rocky Mountain resort town of Banff after arriving from Vancouver on Sunday. The sick member was sent back to Vancouver, Canadian Television reported.
The Calgary Health Region said the quarantine is strictly precautionary and that the students are being tested for their immunity to measles. The results are expected on Tuesday.
Health officials in Vancouver are trying to reach all passengers that were on board the tourist group's flight from Japan to Vancouver, as well as anyone else who may have been exposed to the group members, the report said.
Hundreds of students have been infected by measles in Japan, forcing the closure of about a dozen universities for varying periods. The outbreak is believed to be Japan's largest in the past five years.
var para_count=5

[Greji]

It's like the guns, you get it once, it's unfortunate.
You get it twice, it's stupidity.

I'm like Gomi on this, Cranky. I thought you could only get it once. My daughter's University called her to verify she had already had measles and classes were restricted to those who had been exposed before.

Am I (and they) wrong on this?

[Charles]

I'm like Gomi on this, Cranky. I thought you could only get it once. My daughter's University called her to verify she had already had measles and classes were restricted to those who had been exposed before.

Am I (and they) wrong on this?

You can only get measles once, it gives you lifetime immunity. However, if you had measles vaccine as a child, there is some suspicion that the vaccine wears off after 25 years or so.

I ran into this problem myself when I went back to attend university at the age of 38. When I went to register for classes, I was refused because they had no record of my measles vaccination. I protested that I had measles as a child and had immunity, so I was absolutely not going to have a vaccination. They wouldn't buy it, they were forcing everyone to have new vaccinations, even people who had the vaccination as a child. I had to hunt down my family doctor (my uncle) who had long since retired, and have him write a letter confirming that I had the measles 30+ years ago and thus I had lifetime immunity.

[CrankyBastard]

I'm like Gomi on this, Cranky. I thought you could only get it once. My daughter's University called her to verify she had already had measles and classes were restricted to those who had been exposed before.

Am I (and they) wrong on this?

Then it should be called 'measle' not 'measles'

[CrankyBastard]

Actually, GB you're quite right.
What I thought I'd written was, "It's unlike the guns, where, you get it once, it's unfortunate.You get it twice, it's stupidity."

My eyesight isn't so good nowadays. I'd get new glasses, but I can't afford to because the wife made me invest in a new hearing aid.
It's all pretty embarrassing really, but I'll tell you about it anyway.
Last winter in the UK I was staying at a well-to-do friends house in the country. We were reminiscing about our misspent youth. We'd all had quite a lot to drink and I went to bed.
I woke up early the next morning to a ruckus going on downstairs. People were shouting up at me to get ready, then I remembered the plan that had been hatched the previous night.
I jumped out of bed and was half way down the stairs, stark naked with a jar of vaseline in my hand. I stopped, and through bleary eyes saw a small crowd of people in the hallway dressed in red coats and little black hats, mouths agape, staring up at me.
Then it dawned on me, FOX HUNTING!
I thought they had said we were going to try to fuck something!

I will get a new pair of glasses. But the hearing aid took priority.

[sublight]

I ended up having to have two additional vaccinations when I went to college. For my first year, I got one as a requirement of the school. During that year, however, there was a huge outbreak at either UMass or Northeastern, which caused Massachusetts to pass a law requiring all college students in the state to get a vaccination before the start of the next year. Didn't matter that I'd had one the year before, off to the health office again!

[GuyJean]

Man with Measles Flew to Japan and Back
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20070601/ap_tr_ge/travel_brief_measles_traveler_1

A man infected with measles while visiting Japan potentially exposed dozens of air travelers to the disease along with more than 100 hospital patients, employees and visitors in Eugene, health officials said.

The Eugene man, who was not identified by officials, is in his early 20s. He flew back from Japan on May 22, changing planes in San Francisco.

The man would have been contagious during those flights, said Dr. Paul Cieslak, communicable disease manager in the state Public Health Division.

Passengers could have been exposed to measles, but public health officials have found that air travel historically does not pose a high risk for the spread of disease, Cieslak said..

GJ

[dimwit]

Well Take-chan your disease ridden follow chrysanthemums are certainly making an impression on Canada.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070601/japanese_measles_070601/20070601?hub=Health

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=5f2e59dd-b2c1-41e9-8822-cdb6519f370b&k=28204

Maybe they need to step up internment camps.

[Mulboyne]

SI: Japanese Little Leaguer gets measles

A Little Leaguer from Japan was diagnosed with measles on Thursday, the eve of the World Series. Little League officials did not release his name, citing privacy guidelines. The boy was being treated in isolation on the Little League complex until medical staff determines he is no longer contagious, spokesman Lance Van Auken said. Patients are usually contagious from four days before until four days after the appearance of the measles rash, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Managers from other teams were notified after the diagnosis was made Thursday, and Little League officials were in the process of notifying parents Thursday afternoon, Van Auken said.

[Mulboyne]

Kyodo via Japan Today: Japanese boy causes outbreak of measles in U.S.

A Japanese boy who visited the United States last August to take part in an international sports event was the source of a measles outbreak affecting six people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Thursday. The center said the 12-year-old boy likely caused the outbreak because a genotypic measles virus spreading in Japan was detected in all six cases. The outbreak may result in U.S. health officials stepping up criticism of Japan as the source of measles infections in the United States, where only few cases have been reported in recent years as a result of thorough vaccinations. According to the center, the boy was apparently infected in Japan by a sibling who had measles symptoms, and developed symptoms during his stay in the United States. He was then quarantined. The six comprised a woman who was sitting near the boy on a domestic flight; an airport official and a company employee who had contact with the boy; two university students whom the company employee visited afterward; and another Japanese boy who traveled to see the sports event, the center said.