18 April 11 • 2019
jn
I
t’
s been three weeks since Z, 55,
an anonymous Oak Park resident,
discovered he had the measles —
and he’
s still suffering side effects that
include lingering bronchitis and blurred
vision.
Z doesn’
t know exactly when he
contracted the disease, but he’
s confi-
dent he was in contact with an Israeli
visitor, who was the first confirmed case
on March 13, or at least his airborne
germs, which are contagious for up to
two hours after the measles-infected
person leaves the area.
Measles hasn’
t been seen in years and
it seems to be new terrain for many
doctors. As of Friday, 38 cases have
been confirmed in Oakland County
and one in Wayne County, including
a student at Derby Middle School in
Birmingham Public Schools.
“One doctor told me he didn’
t even
learn about measles in medical school!
It was considered obsolete,” Z said.
“[On March 16,] I went to the same
doctor who had diagnosed Patient Zero
just a few days before with the measles
— and it didn’
t even come up.”
Thinking he had just an ordinary
virus, Z went to Kroger to pick up some
flu medication, inadvertently spreading
the highly contagious disease. It wasn’
t
until March 20 that spots appeared
on his body and his doctor called the
health department; staffers were at his
door within the hour. The next day he
was informed he had tested positive for
measles.
“I’
m fully vaccinated to the standard
of when I was born,” Z said. When he
contracted the virus, he had not known
he’
d need a booster. Regulations have
changed as health departments are
learning what to advise as new cases
appear.
“It is important to emphasize that
everyone who can should get vacci-
nated, especially people born between
1957-1985. It’
s free with most insuranc-
es and often at county health depart-
ments. In Oakland County, it is defi-
nitely free,” Z said.
Misinformation went viral after it
became public that his wife and son, 10,
also exhibited symptoms, but both test-
ed negative for measles.
“It is a very, very brutal virus,” Z said.
“I lost 9 real pounds, not water. I had
no appetite. I had a fever of 102 for six
days that climbed at one point to 104.
It’
s been three weeks and I’
m still not
fully recovered. I’
m much weaker than
usual, need to sleep a lot, still have lin-
gering bronchitis and am suffering from
blurred vision.”
Z went to a cornea specialist on April
4, who said he was the third recovering
measles patient he saw that week. He
believes Z’
s eyes will eventually fully
recover.
Dr. Russell Faust, medical director
from the Oakland County Health
Division (OCHD), said measles can
have long-term effects on a patient’
s
eyes. “The measles virus
can affect nearly every
part of the eye, leading
to possible permanent
changes in vision, includ-
ing blindness.”
According to the
American Academy of
Ophthalmology, measles can harm the
eyes and affect vision the following ways:
conjunctivitis [a hallmark symptom of
measles, often appearing before the rash
and usually abating as the virus runs its
course]; keratitis [infection of the cornea
that can cause temporary blurred vision];
corneal scarring [ulcers]; retinopathy [a
rare side effect where the measles virus
destroys the retina, causing temporary
and sometimes permanent vision loss];
optic neuritis [optic nerve inflammation,
sometimes accompanied with encephali-
tis/brain swelling] or blindness.
According to Faust, measles is a
leading cause of childhood blindness
in developing countries where immu-
nization programs for the disease are
less established. “There is no specific
anti-viral treatment for measles, making
vaccination the best means of preven-
tion,” he said.
SOME HEARING LOSS
Avi Cohen, 23, of Oak Park also is
still recovering from the measles three
weeks after first contracting the virus
despite being immunized.
He said symptoms started off slowly,
reaching a peak when the rash arrived
and tapered off just as slowly. “It was
the most pain I’
ve ever been in in my
life,” he said. Avi said he still feels weak,
has been unable to shake his cough,
which keeps him up at night, and can’
t
hear so well out of his left ear. If it
doesn’
t go away soon, he will go to the
doctor. And he has lost 15 pounds.
Soon after the rash arrived, Avi suf-
fered from a terrible headache, which
alarmed doctors as brain swelling is
a rare known side effect of the virus.
However, brain swelling is also accom-
panied by slurring, nonsensical state-
ments, confusion and memory loss,
which he didn’
t experience and eventu-
ally the headache went away on its own,
so there was no need for a brain scan.
MEASLES BASICS
Leigh-Anne Stafford, health officer
for OCHD, said, “Measles is a virus,
similar to influenza and the common
cold. It typically begins with a mild to
moderate fever, often accompanied by
a persistent cough, runny nose (cory-
za), inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) and
sore throat. Common complications of
measles include ear infections, diarrhea
and pneumonia. A more severe compli-
cation of measles is swelling of the brain
(encephalitis). Measles may cause preg-
nant woman to give birth prematurely
or to have a low-birth-weight baby.”
She added measles can cause serious
side effects for some people. Those who
continued on page 20
“One doctor told me he didn’
t even learn
about measles in medical school! It was
considered obsolete.”
— Z, A RECOVERING MEASLES PATIENT
Avi Cohen with Uriel, 7
weeks, and Reuven, 2
ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Side Effects?
Two recovering patients represent measles
details you need to know.
jews d
in
the
Dr. Russell Faust
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