The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued a health alert Monday as cases of measles during pregnancy and, consequently, cases of congenital measles continued to rise. Before the current outbreak — which continues to rage across the state — cases of congenital measles had not been seen in decades, the department noted in its advisory.
The alert included detailed clinical guidance for the management of measles exposures and cases during pregnancy as well as cases in newborns. Many doctors have never seen such cases in their careers, given decades of successful use of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. But now, with vaccination rates declining nationwide, the highly infectious virus is more able to take hold in communities and spread quickly through undervaccinated pockets, as is the case in Pennsylvania.
As of October 19, Pennsylvania has reported 1,286 measles cases in 42 counties this year. Of those, 247 were hospitalized and six people are reported to have died (although the latest reported death is still under investigation by the state health department before being added to the state’s count).
The Pennsylvania Department of Health did not immediately respond to a request for information from Ars Technica. But a report from the 19th of this month puts the number of cases of measles during pregnancy at 53. At least one case of congenital measles resulted in one death; The first death reported in the current outbreak was a newborn baby, who died immediately after birth while his mother was seriously ill with measles.
Risky infection
Pregnant people who have not been vaccinated against measles and who have not previously been infected are susceptible. A case of measles during pregnancy increases the risk of hospitalization, pneumonia, need for oxygen or mechanical ventilation, and death. It also increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight and premature labor. The MMR vaccine is not recommended during pregnancy because it is a live attenuated vaccine and has a theoretical risk of causing infection in the fetus. If a pregnant person is exposed to the virus, they are recommended to receive intravenous immunoglobulin to help protect against infection, but only if given within six days of exposure.
Gn Health
