A few months after Disneyland officials warned unvaccinated people to stay away amid a measles outbreak that was traced back to the park, the California Department of Public Health says it’s preparing to announce the end of the outbreak tomorrow, barring any new cases.
California disease investigators have been trying to contain the spread of measles after the disease popped up in Disney theme parks in December, soon traveling to other states and countries. In California, 131 people were infected, reports the Associated Press.
Many of those who caught the Disneyland measles weren’t immunized or hadn’t gone through the entire measles-mumps-rubella immunization process.
Disneyland was an ideal place for the measles to set up shop, experts said, as the parks bring in steady crowds from around the globe who then act basically as ambassadors, bringing the disease back home with them when they leave.
The Disneyland outbreak “reminds us that we are part of a global medical community” and the U.S. should help tame measles raging in many parts of the world, Dr. Richard Wenzel, an infectious disease expert told the AP.
Though the outbreak was homegrown, with the disease starting with 40 people who had been at Disneyland in December, as well as another identified source, it’s believed that whoever patient zero is, he or she brought it into the country from elsewhere, health experts say.
Disney-linked measles outbreak soon to be over in California [Associated Press]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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