Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 13 June 2018
Romania's measles outbreak kills dozens of children

By ALISON MUTLER one had been immunized, "People opposed to
CHITILA, Romania (AP) — according to the National vaccination are promoted
An outbreak of measles in Center for the Supervision (in the media) in a way
Romania has killed dozens and Control of Transmissible which is, shall we say,
of infants and children, with Diseases. unethical."
200 new cases reported The European Center for Steer declined to speak
each week. Disease Prevention and about her views to the AP.
Doctors say the surge in Control said the number of Research published 20
the disease is fueled by measles cases across the years ago that linked the
the country's low rate continent tripled last year, vaccine to autism has been
of vaccination. Some with Romania, Ukraine and discredited but the scare
Romanian celebrities have Italy the worst affected. has made some people
waged media campaigns Alexandru Rafila, a wary, Romanian doctors
warning about the perils laboratory chief at the told the AP.
of immunization, and Matei Bals National Institute In Chitila, a small town
local superstitions such for Infectious Diseases just north of the capital
as keeping the vaccine- in Bucharest, told The In this photo taken on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 picture, of Bucharest, Dr. Daniela
preventable disease at bay Associated Press this week Alexandru Rafila, who heads a laboratory at the Matei Bals Stefanescu, a pediatrician,
with cabbage juice or not that the highly contagious National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Romania. was vaccinating babies
cleaning one's house have disease is spreading quicker Associated Press against measles and other
also exasperated doctors. in Romanian because viruses this week. The
Some doctors also millions of its citizens work Romania but often found Doctors like Rafila are also vaccine provides immunity
complain they don't abroad, get exposed to in Italy. up against celebrities like against measles, mumps
have sufficient stocks of different strains of measles The World Health Olivia Steer, a television and German measles and
vaccines. and then return home. Organization recommends personality who publicly is administered to 1-year-
Some 13,700 people in He said the disease first a 95 percent level of promotes an anti-vaccine olds with a second dose a
Romania have contracted appeared in a community vaccination for measles stance. few years later.
measles since the epidemic of Roma in northwestern but Romania has one of "Unfortunately there is "Some of them said 'Let me
began in 2016, and 55 Romania in 2016. He said the lowest European rates an appetite for anything think about it. Maybe I'll
have died, of whom only that strain was foreign to — less than 84 percent. sensational," Rafila said. have it,'" she said.q

Tiny ancient Quran on display in Israel for Ramadan

By CARON CREIGHTON and cultural consciousness The collection includes
Associated Press to the culture of Islam," she other centuries-old Qurans,
JERUSALEM (AP) — A 10th- said. scrolls, and illustrations.
century Quran, unique in Featured in the showcase Describing the various
size and style, has gone is an exceptionally small items, Ukeles said she was
on display for the first time and fragile Quran from the especially drawn to the
as part of a collection of 10th century, only 68 by story of Layla and Majnun,
Islamic texts being shown 37 millimeters (2.5 inches an ancient tale of love,
at Israel's National Library by 1.5 inches), which is on which she described as the
to mark the Muslim holy public display for the first Persian version of Romeo
month of Ramadan. time. and Juliet. The manuscript is
The 16 texts, all from the 10th "It's a fragile, but well- accompanied by a colorful
through 18th centuries, are preserved item, and illustration depicting two
shown in a small room, with what's special about young lovers who have
an entrance decorated A 10th century Quran is on display at Israel's National Library in this item is it was written been forced apart due to
by ornate flowers that Jerusalem, Monday, June 11, 2018 without any punctuation tribal differences.
resemble the manuscripts Associated Press or vowelization," said Israel's National Library has
in the showcase. Ukeles. She said the book one of the largest research
"We have opened a small, of the exhibit this week, enough airtime or space, likely served as "a religious collections in the Middle
yet powerful exhibition called "Select Pearls from and so one of the roles of talisman." East, and has hosted public
of beautiful, rare Islamic the Islam Collection." the National Library, with While the library has a programs during Ramadan
manuscripts that tell the "Here in Israel, where Jewish its flagship Islam collection, collection of 1,800 Islamic for the past 5 years.
story of Islamic culture culture is the majority is to draw attention and manuscripts, this is the "Ramadan is this month of
across a thousand years," culture, the minority broaden awareness, and to first such exhibit for all of intensive religious activity,
curator Raquel Ukeles said cultures often don't get make space in Israeli social Ramadan, Ukeles said. but also cultural activity,
and so it's a wonderful
opportunity to draw
attention to the Muslim
calendar in general, and to
this very special holy month
in particular," Ukeles said.
Islam is the dominant faith
of Israel's Arab minority,
which makes up around a
fifth of its population, and
of Palestinians in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip.q