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- Mainichi Daily News -- A group of mainly junior high
school pupils have been confirmed as the first large-scale outbreak of
a lethal strain of measles, according to the National Center for Contagious
Diseases.
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- Over 100 people were struck by the H-1 type measles in
February and March this year. It is a rare strain of the disease that broke
out in Hong Kong some three years ago.
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- Compounding fears about the strain, a large swathe of
those afflicted this year had been immunized against the measles, but the
vaccination's effects had weakened over time.
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- "A new type of (measles) virus arose just as the
immunity (provided by vaccination) was weakening, causing the large-scale
outbreak," a center spokesman said. "People should actively pursue
vaccination and be prepared to be vaccinated again following a certain
period of time."
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- Ibaraki Prefectural Government officials said that the
new strain of measles was detected in 109 people aged from a few months
to 62. The large majority of those afflicted, 78, were junior high school
pupils. Of 86 pupils, a number that includes those only suspected of having
contracted the disease, 61 had been vaccinated for the measles.
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- Center officials said that Japan is usually afflicted
by two types of measles, the D3 strain and D5 strain. However, they learned
the strain that broke out in Kitaibaraki was of type H1.
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- Measles vaccinations are usually performed somewhere
between 12 and 90 months of birth. However, center officials said that
only about 80 percent of people undergo measles vaccination.
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- Recently, vaccinations have also developed a tendency
to weaken in effect over time. Much debate over health issues has been
devoted to repeat immunization.
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- Some pupils affected by the outbreak of the new measles
virus had been vaccinated, but their symptoms were not as harsh as those
who had not been immunized.
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- Measles causes fever and rashes to break out, with severe
cases leading to encephalitis or pneumonia. The effects can often be greater
if contracted by an adult.
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- Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare statistics show
that of the 35,302 reported cases of measles in Japan last year, those
over 18 accounted for 925 instances. Of the 21 people who died through
the measles in 2001, 10 were 18 or over. (Mainichi Shimbun, Oct. 28, 2002)
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- © 2002 The Mainichi Newspapers Co.
- http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20021028p2a00m0fp014001c.html
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