18 April 11 • 2019
jn

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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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