Health
Georgia health officials link third measles case to unvaccinated international traveler
The Georgia Department of Public Health on Thursday confirmed a third case of measles in an unvaccinated individual who traveled internationally.
The individual was traveling with an international group of students and does not live in the United States, officials said. The individual has been isolated and is receiving treatment at a local hospital, according to the department.
“DPH is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify and contact anyone who may have been exposed to the individual and to prevent further spread of measles,” officials said.
Health experts are concerned by an alarming increase in measles outbreaks in the U.S., which are already double the total of all last year.
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In this March 27, 2019, file photo, a woman receives a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 113 total cases as of April 5, 2024, with a new update expected Friday. More than half of these cases, 65, have resulted in hospitalization for isolation or management of measles complications, according to the CDC.
Of those infected, 83% were not vaccinated, or their vaccination status was unknown. Twelve percent had one MMR dose, and 5% received two MMR doses.
Although cases appear to be on the rise, they have not yet reached the highs of previous years: 2014 saw 667 cases and 2019 had 1,274.
The CDC report noted that cases in the firs three months of this year were 17 times higher than the average number seen in the first three months of the previous three years.
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Measles outbreaks in the U.S. and abroad are raising health experts’ concern about the preventable, once-common childhood virus. The CDC on Thursday, April 11, 2024, released a report on recent measles case trends, noting that cases in the first three months of this year were 17 times higher than the average number seen in the first three months of the previous three years. (iStock)
Once thought to have been eradicated in the U.S., measles is still common in other parts of the world, particularly the Middle East and Africa. The CDC in a report released Thursday attributed the recent rise in cases to unvaccinated Americans who traveled abroad and brought the disease home with them.
Health officials have confirmed measles cases in 17 states so far this year, including cases in New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago.
More than half of this year’s cases come from the Chicago outbreak, where 61 people have contracted the virus as of Thursday, largely among people who lived in a migrant shelter.
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A vial containing the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is showcased at the Neighborcare Health clinics located at Vashon Island High School in Vashon Island, Washington, on May 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
The New York City health department said Thursday that cases are on the decline after officials administered 14,000 vaccines in just over a month.
The CDC describes measles as a “highly contagious viral illness” that “can cause severe health complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and death, especially in unvaccinated persons.”
“To prevent measles infection and reduce the risk of community transmission from importation, all U.S. residents traveling internationally, regardless of destination, should be current on their MMR vaccinations,” the agency said in an alert issued last month. “Healthcare providers should ensure children are current on routine immunizations, including MMR.”
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Health
Switching from cigarettes to vapes linked to higher risk of major eye diseases, large study finds
US cigarette smoking drops to record low, vaping and nicotine pouch use surges
Fox News medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel discusses a New England Journal of Medicine study reporting US adult cigarette smoking rates dropped to a record low of 9.9% in 2024. Siegel warns about the addictive nature of vaping and nicotine pouches, which contain high levels of nicotine. He expresses concern over potential GI tract and heart issues, stressing social media’s role in promoting these products to younger generations.
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Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a massive nationwide study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology suggests that smokeless alternatives could increase the risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine altogether.
Researchers from the Korea University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, analyzed health data from a group of 179,273 adults through the Korean National Health Insurance Service, according to a press release.
All participants had smoked traditional cigarettes between 2011 and 2012 and then quit smoking by 2018 or 2019, they reported.
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To ensure a fair comparison, the researchers paired up participants who shared similar backgrounds, including their age, gender, medical history, existing health conditions and general lifestyle habits.
Switching from cigarettes to electronic vapes is often seen as a healthier move, but a large study suggests it could pose a risk to eye health. (iStock)
This process created a balanced group of 32,316 matched participants, who were divided into two categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products and those who transitioned to smokeless nicotine products, such as vapes.
The researchers followed the participants for an average of 4.6 years to determine whether they developed eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and focus-related eyesight disorders.
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Over the tracking period, the group experienced a total of 6,328 major eye disease events. People who quit nicotine entirely had the lowest disease rate in the study, at 41.1 cases per 1,000 person-years (a measure that accounts for both the number of people in the study and how long they were followed).
In comparison, that rate rose to 44 cases for individuals who had switched over to smokeless alternatives like vapes.
The people included in the study were divided into two main categories: complete quitters who stopped using all nicotine products, and switchers who transitioned to smokeless tobacco or nicotine products, like vapes. (iStock)
Ultimately, the data showed that switching to alternative nicotine products carried a steady 7% increased risk of serious eye diseases compared to quitting nicotine completely.
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Most notably, those who switched faced a 24% higher risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, a condition that damages the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.
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Additionally, those who ditched cigarettes for vapes had a 7% higher risk of developing refractive and accommodation disorders, which affect the eye’s ability to focus clearly.
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“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted.
“These findings challenge the assumption that substituting noncombustible nicotine or tobacco products for conventional cigarettes is visually harmless,” the researchers noted. (iStock)
The authors did point out a few limitations of the research. Because this was a study looking back at health insurance data, it cannot definitively prove that vaping directly causes eye damage.
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Additionally, the study relied on people filling out questionnaires about their own smoking and vaping habits, which can sometimes lead to underreporting or simple memory errors.
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Still, the researchers concluded the findings suggest that replacing cigarettes with alternative nicotine products may not eliminate the risk of certain eye diseases.
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