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A28 SCIENCE
Monday 4 noveMber 2019
Measles saps kids' ability to fight other germs

By LAURAN NEERGAARD immunized. So far this year,
AP Medical Writer the Centers for Disease
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mea- Control and Prevention has
sles has a stealth side ef- counted more than 1,200
fect: New research shows U.S. measles cases, the
it erases much of the im- most since 1992.
mune system's memory of Doctors have long known
how to fight other germs, that people temporarily
so children recover only to experience weakened im-
be left more vulnerable to munity after measles. Using
bugs like flu or strep. decades of health records,
Scientists dubbed the star- Mina previously reported
tling findings "immune am- that child deaths from oth-
nesia." The body can re- er infections jumped after
build those defenses — but a measles outbreak, in-
it could take years. creases that lasted two or
And with measles on the three years.
rise, "it should be a scary But no one knew why, until
phenomenon," said Dr. Mi- the new study.
chael Mina of Harvard's The Dutch children started
school of public health, out pretty healthy: Technol-
lead author of research ogy developed in Elledge's
published Thursday in the lab found antibodies in
journal Science. In this March 27, 2019, file photo, vials of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine sit in a cooler at their blood against typical
"This goes under the radar" the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y. childhood germs. But two
because doctors wouldn't Associated Press months after recovering
necessarily connect a Science Department. agreed Dr. Mark Mulligan of age or hearing loss, and from measles, the children
child's pneumonia to mea- A separate study, pub- NYU Langone Health, who while deaths are rare in the had lost on average 20
sles they suffered a year lished Thursday in Science wasn't involved with the U.S., measles killed 110,000 percent of their usual anti-
earlier, Mina explained. Immunology, supported new research. "It's a vac- people globally in 2017. body mix. Some lost up to
"But would they have got- the findings. Researchers cine that protects against The vaccine offers power- 70 percent of protection
ten it if they hadn't gotten from Britain's Wellcome the specific target, measles ful protection but a lack against specific bugs, limit-
measles?" Sanger Institute used the virus, but also against im- of access means measles ing their ability to respond if
The Harvard team ana- Dutch blood samples to mune suppression." remains rampant in many they encounter that germ
lyzed blood samples taken genetically test antibody- Measles is one of the world's lower-income countries. again.
from 77 children before producing cells, and con- most contagious viruses, Even the U.S., where most Importantly, researchers
and after a measles out- cluded measles is eliminat- able to spread through children are immunized, didn't find loss of antibod-
break in an unvaccinated ing enough to re-set the im- coughs and sneezes for has seen a resurgence fu- ies in "control" populations
community in the Neth- mune system to a baby-like four days before someone eled by outbreaks in un- that didn't get infected
erlands. They looked for state. develops the characteristic vaccinated communities with measles — or in chil-
antibodies, which remem- If protection against the rash. It sometimes leaves that in turn threaten peo- dren after they received
ber viruses and bacteria misery — and sometimes children with brain dam- ple too young or sick to be the measles vaccine.q
they encounter to guard life-threatening effects —
against a repeat infection. of measles isn't enough
After recovering from mea- reason to vaccinate chil- Climate change making
sles, the youngsters were dren, specialists said the
left with plenty of antibod- two studies offer a powerful stronger El Ninos, study finds
ies against that virus — but new rationale.
ones they'd previously har- "There really are pro- By SETH BORENSTEIN eas like California. The Pa- the west is naturally warm-
bored against other germs found gaps and holes" in AP Science Writer cific gets more hurricanes er, said study lead author
had plummeted. someone's immunity after WASHINGTON (AP) — Cli- during an El Nino and the Bin Wang, an atmospheric
In the most severe cases, measles, said Dr. Anthony mate change is making Atlantic gets fewer. scientist at the University of
"they're just as vulnerable Fauci of the U.S. National stronger El Ninos, which El Nino makes winters mild- Hawaii. Before 1978, 12 of
as if they were infants," said Institutes of Health, which change weather world- er and wetter in the United the 14 El Ninos formed in
study senior author Ste- helped fund the Harvard wide and heat up an al- States, which generally the east. After 1978, all 11
phen Elledge, a Harvard work. "You ultimately re- ready warming planet, a benefits from strong El Ni- were more central or west-
geneticist. Elledge is paid cover but after a year or new study finds. nos. ern, according a study in
by the Howard Hughes two or sometimes more." Scientists examined 33 El They're devastating else- Monday's Proceedings of
Medical Institute, which "It's doubly important Ninos — natural warming where. The 1997-98 event the National Academy of
also supports AP's Health & to vaccinate children," of equatorial Pacific that caused thousands of Sciences .
triggers weather extremes deaths from severe storms, Researchers did not study
across the globe — since heat waves, floods and La Ninas, the cooler flip side
1901. They found since the drought, costing between to El Nino.
1970s, El Ninos have been $32 billion and $96 billion, The study adds to grow-
forming farther to the west according to a United Na- ing evidence that "El Nino
in warmer waters, lead- tions study . events are becoming
ing to stronger El Ninos in The shift for the origin of El stronger under continued
some cases. A powerful El Nino by hundreds of miles climate change," Georgia
Nino can trigger drought from the east of the Inter- Tech climate scientist Kim
in some places, like Aus- national Dateline to the Cobb, who wasn't part of
tralia and India. And it can west of that point is impor- the research, said in an
cause flooding in other ar- tant because the water to email. q