Measles infections are now confirmed in 30 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We have more measles cases than we have had in the last 30 years," says Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group. 

"This is an explosive outbreak."

"This is a reflection of people not being vaccinated and not understanding the severity of measles," says Dr. Poland. "If you get measles, you have about a 1 in 1,000 chance of having encephalitis. That is an infection of the brain, and it will change your life forever if you survive it."

Worldwide, more than 100,000 people a year, mostly children under 5, die from measles. 

Watch: Dr. Gregory Poland talks about measles

Journalists: Broadcast-quality sound bites with Dr. Gregory Poland are in the downloads at the end of the post. Please "Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network."

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can live up to two hours in an airspace where an infected person coughed or sneezed. Up to 90% of the people close to the infected person who are not immune or vaccinated also will become infected.

"This is, again, preventable, and this all emanates from the false notion that in some odd manner measles vaccine could cause autism. That is not true," says Dr. Poland. "It is a falsehood, and it has infected a lot of people's thinking. And as a result, they hesitate to get measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. They reject the vaccine, and it is causing one tragedy after another across this nation and across Europe."

The CDC recommends all children get two doses of measles, mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12–15 months and the second dose at ages 4–6.  Teens and adults who are not sure if they are immune should contact their health care provider. 

The post Infectious Diseases A–Z: Measles cases in 30 states appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. John Kisiel, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, will discuss screening and treatment options for colorectal cancer. Also on the program, Dr. Pritish Tosh, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, will give an update on the measles outbreak and flu season. And two Mayo Clinic staff members and friends — Melanie Peterson and Lindsay Stromback — will share their story of supporting each other through breast cancer treatment.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Miss the show? Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Use the hashtag #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows or subscribe to the podcast.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Most cases of colorectal cancer begin as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called polyps. Over time, some of these polyps become colon cancers. Of the cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But it doesn’t have to be. Colorectal cancer is also one of the most preventable cancers if people get the recommended screening. These screening tests can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before turning into cancer. Screening also helps find colorectal cancer at an early stage, when treatment is more effective in curing the disease.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. John Kisiel, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, will discuss screening and treatment options for colorectal cancer. Also on the program, Dr. Pritish Tosh, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, will give an update on the measles outbreak and flu season. And two Mayo Clinic staff members and friends — Melanie Peterson and Lindsay Stromback — will share their story of supporting each other through breast cancer treatment.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Miss the show?  Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Use the hashtag #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows or subscribe to the podcast.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Colorectal cancer awareness / measles outbreak / patient breast cancer story appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Watch: Dr. Pritish Tosh discusses measles

Journalists: Broadcast-quality sound bites are in the downloads.

"Measles is a viral disease that, before vaccination, used to affect children across the world," says Dr. Tosh. The highly contagious virus is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person infected with measles can spread the virus to others for about eight days.

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is recommended for all persons 12 months of age and older. Dr. Tosh says, "The vaccine is very safe and effective in the groups of children for whom it is recommended, and there are very few children for which it is not recommended."

"The vaccination confers really strong protection; however, we have been seeing an increased amount of kids who are not being vaccinated — not because they have contraindications to the vaccine, but out of the choice of their parents. And these decisions are often not based on good science," says Dr. Tosh.

The measles vaccine has been available since the 1960s. WHO says that, before the widespread availability of the vaccine, measles caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths globally each year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children get two doses of the MMR vaccine — the first at 12 - 15 months and the second before entering school at 4 - 6 years.

In 2017, 118 people in the U.S. had measles, compared to 86 people in 2016, the CDC reports. The U.S. experienced a record 667 measles cases in 2014.

The post Infectious Diseases A-Z: Measles cases surge in Europe appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.