The measles outbreak that has been triggered in California’s Disneyland Park last December and since then has infected 147 people across the United States is finally over, the California health officials said on Friday.
The large scale spread of the measles infection, which is believed to have started from the Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks, ended with 131 confirmed cases in the state.
Dr. Gil Chavez, deputy director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at the California Department of Public Health, said that 19 percent of the people infected with measles in California were sent to hospitals for treatment.
According to Chavez, none of the patients confirmed for measles infection died in the state.
However, the doctors had to insert a breathing tube inside one person among the more severe infection cases after they found that the organ was damaged from the disease in the patient, Chavez said.
The measles outbreak has once again renewed a fierce debate over the so-called anti-vaccination movement that has witnessed a minority of parents refusing to allow their children to be vaccinated against severe diseases. The parents are opting out of vaccination on the grounds of their religious or personal beliefs. Some of them are also anti-vaccination due to a debunked research work that has suggested its link to autism.
The health officials have bolstered efforts for broader vaccinations and awareness in order to prevent future measles outbreaks.
Measles is the world’s one of the most infectious diseases. Some of the common symptoms are fever, runny nose, cough, watery eyes and skin rashes. The symptoms start rising as late as two weeks following the exposure.