This Is What a Brain Destroyed by Measles Looks Like
Gizmodo • • health
Key Points:
- A rare but fatal brain condition called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) can develop years after a measles infection, as highlighted by a recent case of a 7-year-old boy who died from SSPE more than six years after contracting measles.
- SSPE is caused by a mutated measles virus that persists in the body, leading to progressive brain damage and is nearly 100% fatal, with symptoms typically appearing 6 to 8 years post-infection.
- Measles-related encephalitis can also occur as primary measles encephalitis or acute post-infectious encephalitis, each affecting about 1 in 1,000 children with measles, but SSPE is
