The Unexpected Consequences of Measles

Measles has been found to have significant effects on the immune system beyond the immediate symptoms of fever and rash. Recent research indicates that measles infections can lead to a phenomenon termed 'immune amnesia', where children lose a significant portion of their immune memory after recovering from the disease. This loss makes them more susceptible to other infections for an extended period, resulting in increased mortality rates from diseases unrelated to measles. The data show that after measles outbreaks, there was a corresponding rise in deaths from other infectious diseases, suggesting that measles may disrupt the immune system's ability to fight off previously encountered pathogens.