A Boy Survived Measles at 7 Months Old. Years Later, It Caused a Deadly Brain Disease.
Many people assume that once a child recovers from measles, the danger is over.
Sadly, that isn’t always true.
A baby boy contracted measles at just 7 months old. Years later, at age 6, he began suffering from seizures and severe cognitive decline.
Doctors eventually diagnosed him with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare and fatal brain disorder linked to a previous measles infection.
His condition continued to worsen, and at just 7 years old, he died at a children’s hospital in California.
SSPE can remain hidden in the brain for years before symptoms appear. Early signs may include personality changes, mood problems, headaches and fever. As the disease progresses, patients can develop seizures, muscle spasms, vision loss, dementia and eventually coma.
There is currently no cure for SSPE, although treatment may slow its progression.
The tragedy is that measles itself can be prevented.
Routine MMR vaccination remains the best protection against measles and the rare but devastating complications that can follow years later.