Measles Can Mutate Into Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis In Rare Cases, Study Indicates

HealthDay (12/26, Mundell) reports on a case involving a rare but fatal brain disease caused by the measles virus. According to a study, “while the measles virus initially congregates in the respiratory tract, it can slowly migrate throughout the body years after the illness is over.” The brain disease, “called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), occurs in about 1 in every 10,000 measles cases, the researchers said.” The findings were published in the journal PLOS Pathogens.