The current measles outbreak has gripped US states like Texas and New Mexico leaving people worried whether it would become a new pandemic. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services as of February 21, 90 cases were diagnosed in the last month in the South Plains area, with at least 77 of them were reported in children and teens under 17.

Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly. The outbreak, which started spreading in late January, has resulted in multiple hospitalizations, with at least nine confirmed cases and three probable cases as of early February. Health officials caution that at least one in five infected individuals will have to be hospitalized, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Misinformation surrounding vaccines and with the new Trump administration anti-vaccine campaigs, has causing parents to hesitate or refuse vaccination.

Furthermore, the country down under Australia is also witnessing a surge in measles cases as health officials in Sydney have issued an urgent alert, urging residents to watch for measles symptoms after an infected individual visited several places in Sydney over the last seven days.

Authorities report that the traveller had returned from South East Asia where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles.

What Are The Symptoms Measles?

Key symptoms of measles include fever, a runny nose, sore eyes, and a cough. Typically, a red, blotchy rash appears three to four days later, spreading from the head down to the body. Symptoms can manifest between 7 and 18 days after exposure.

Anyone who experiences these symptoms after potential exposure should immediately contact their doctor or emergency department. It is crucial to call ahead before visiting to avoid potentially exposing others in the waiting room. Dr. Selvey also highlighted that ongoing measles outbreaks are occurring in various parts of the world, making awareness and prompt action essential.

Why It Is Important To Get Vaccinated?

According to CDC everyone should get the MMR vaccine. It protects you from measles, mumps, and rubella. Getting vaccinated helps stop these diseases from spreading. There are two safe MMR vaccines available. They work the same way, so it doesn't matter which one you get. Kids can also get a shot that protects against chickenpox too, but this is only for children.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

Kids Need Two Shots

All children should get two MMR shots. The first shot should be given when they are between 12 and 15 months old. The second shot should be given when they are between 4 and 6 years old. If needed, the second shot can be given earlier, but it must be at least 28 days after the first shot.

College Students Need to Be Protected

Students going to college or other schools after high school, need two shots if they are not already immune. The shots must be at least 28 days apart.

Adults Need at Least One Shot

Most adults need at least one MMR shot. Some adults need two shots, especially those who work in healthcare, travel a lot, or go to college. These people should get two shots, with 28 days between them.

Travelers Need to Be Extra Careful

Anyone traveling to other countries should make sure they are protected. Babies 6 to 11 months old should get one shot before traveling. Kids 12 months and older, teens, and adults need two shots, with 28 days between them.

Healthcare Workers Must Be Immune

People who work in healthcare should have proof that they are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella. If they are not immune, they need two MMR shots, spaced 28 days apart.

Women Thinking About Having Babies

Women who might get pregnant should talk to their doctor about the MMR vaccine. It's safe to get the shot while breastfeeding.

From 130 maternal deaths per lakh live births during 2014–16, India has achieved a 43-point reduction in the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) between 2022 and 2024, according to the government.

Currently, the MMR in the country stands at 87 maternal deaths per lakh live births.

In an official statement, the government credited the achievement to Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyaan (PMSMA), which today completed a decade.

Launched in June 2016, PMSMA provides free, comprehensive antenatal care to pregnant women at designated government health facilities on the 9th of every month.

More than 7.50 crore pregnant women have received antenatal services under PMSMA in addition to routine ANC check-up services in the last 10 years. The Extended PMSMA, launched in 2022, strengthens follow-up care and tracking for high-risk pregnancies.

"Over the past decade, the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyaan has transformed the delivery of antenatal care in India. Quality maternal healthcare is now more accessible, systematic and responsive," the statement said.

“The remarkable decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio from 130 to 87 over the past decade demonstrates how focused interventions can save thousands of lives,” it added.

How PMSMA Works

The government noted that PMSMA works through:

• Early identification of high-risk pregnancies
• Regular monitoring
• Timely medical intervention

"PMSMA has demonstrated that when quality healthcare reaches women at the right time, it saves lives, prevents complications and creates healthier beginnings for families and future generations," the govt said.

Services Offered Under PMSMA

The PMSMA service package includes clinical examinations, laboratory investigations (blood and urine tests), ultrasonography, medicines, and counselling on nutrition, birth planning, and safe pregnancy practices.

Key features include:

• Minimum one comprehensive and quality antenatal check-up by an Obstetrician and Gynecologist or a Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) trained doctor during the second or third trimester.
• Mobilizing pregnant women for specialist antenatal care services at designated public health facilities.
• High-risk pregnancy identification by screening for 25 high-risk factors and management at an early stage.
• Linking high-risk pregnancies to the nearest First Referral Unit (FRU) for safe delivery.
• Empanelment of private service providers for PMSMA service provision.
• Essential blood and urine investigations and ultrasonography.
• Counselling on nutrition, appropriate birth planning, and complication readiness for every pregnant woman.

Who Can Access PMSMA Services?

The program is available to:

• Pregnant women in their second trimester (13–27 weeks) or third trimester (28 weeks until delivery).
• Indian citizens residing in India who are willing to visit designated government health facilities on the 9th of every month.
• High-risk pregnancy cases, which receive priority attention and follow-up care.
• Women who are dropouts from regular antenatal care and are actively encouraged to participate.

What Is Maternal Mortality Ratio?

MMR is defined as the number of maternal deaths per one lakh live births during a given period.

A maternal death refers to the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy due to causes related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, excluding accidental or incidental causes.

Maternal health remains one of the clearest indicators of the strength and inclusiveness of a country's healthcare system.

"As India marches towards Viksit Bharat@2047, PMSMA will continue to transform the maternal healthcare landscape by ensuring that every pregnancy is safer and every mother receives the care she deserves. With continued commitment and collective action, PMSMA can help usher in an era where no woman loses her life while giving life, strengthening the foundations of a healthier and more prosperous India," the statement said.

Health officials in Kerala have reported two deaths caused by West Nile fever in Ernakulam district.

The deceased was identified as Muraleedharan, a 70-year-old man from Kadangalloor near Aluva. The elderly man died while undergoing treatment on Monday at Kalamassery Medical College, officials said.

Muraleedharan, who was suffering from cancer and had respiratory problems, was admitted to the Medical College Hospital a few days ago with symptoms of West Nile fever. This is the second death from West Nile fever in the Ernakulam district in a week.

Saraswathiyamma, a native of Paravur, died of West Nile fever the other day. Many people have reportedly sought treatment at various hospitals in Ernakulam district with West Nile fever and dengue fever symptoms.

Health Department Issues Advisory

Following the incident, the state health department urged people to remain cautious and also issued an advisory urging the public to take precautions against the mosquito-borne disease.

The West Nile Fever "is caused by a flavivirus commonly found in migratory birds and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes," the department said, in a statement.

It clarified that "the disease does not spread from person to person and that preventing mosquito bites is the most effective way to avoid infection".

According to health authorities, symptoms may include fever, high body temperature, stiffness of the neck, behavioral changes, confusion, semi-consciousness, or loss of consciousness, PTI reported.

The statement warned that severe infection could affect the nervous system and lead to conditions such as encephalitis and meningitis.

"Elderly persons, those with low immunity, individuals with underlying illnesses, pregnant women, and children have been identified as high-risk groups requiring special attention. Culex mosquitoes, which breed in stagnant and polluted water bodies, drainage channels, septic tanks, marshy areas, paddy fields, and overgrown vegetation, are the primary carriers of the disease," the statement said.

What Is West Nile Fever?

The disease is spread through mosquito bites, and most who get infected do not have any symptoms. However, one in every five infected people has a fever, headache, body aches, and other flu-like symptoms.

The West Nile virus also infects the nervous system and is capable of causing serious brain or spinal cord inflammation.

According to the WHO, West Nile Virus is a member of the flavivirus genus and belongs to the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of the family Flaviviridae.

The mosquitoes become infected when they feed on birds that carry the virus in their blood, and then bite humans and infect them.

West Nile Fever: The Symptoms

The symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, rash around the chest and back, swollen lymph nodes, sore throats, and pain behind the eyes.

In severe cases, individuals may have an intense headache, high fever, stiff neck, making you unable to move your chin towards your chest, confusion, muscle weakness, loss of control over your muscle movements, seizures, paralysis, and coma.

West Nile Fever: How Does It Spread?

While the mosquitoes that feed on infected birds are the carriers, there is still a lack of evidence to determine whether it comes directly from the birds. The incubation period for symptoms to show up is two to six days, but it can extend to 14 days, too.

It can be transmitted from a pregnant person to their fetus, through human milk, blood transfusion, and organ transplant. People who are over the age of 60, have cancer, diabetes, or high blood pressure are more prone to the virus.

West Nile Fever: Treatment

There are no treatments or antiviral medications available for it. However, one can treat the mild symptoms at home with over-the-counter medications that you take for a cold or the flu. The best way to prevent is to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

Dr. Ravi Vij, an Indian-origin cancer specialist and an alumnus of Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, has been given the prestigious honor of a professorship for his contributions to advancing treatments for blood cancers.

He has been appointed as the inaugural Jeffrey S. and Prue H. Gershman Distinguished Professor in the John T. Milliken Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine.

Vij is currently a professor of medicine in the department’s Division of Oncology. The professorship has been funded by St. Louis philanthropists Jeffrey and Prue Gershman, who support local education, health, and arts organizations.

In a statement, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin stated that this professorship, "will accelerate progress against blood cancers by supporting Dr. Vij’s work to bring new, more effective treatments to patients".

Martin also lauded Dr. Vij’s leadership, noting that it has "helped grow WashU Medicine’s reputation as a national force in stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy".

Leading Blood Cancer Research

Dr Vij's work includes studying the genetic underpinnings and cellular microenvironment of multiple myeloma — a cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow.

He also treats patients at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, and is the principal investigator of the Multiple Myeloma Tissue Banking initiative at Siteman.

He has led several clinical trials of investigational therapies for blood cancers, including immunotherapy agents and novel stem cell transplant strategies, that later became standard treatments. He has authored more than 300 scientific publications in the field of blood cancers.

Also read:I’m Cancer-Free After 14 Years, Says Robin Quivers

Contributions Beyond Research

Beyond his research into blood cancer, Dr. Vij has served on the American Society of Clinical Oncology education and scientific committees and on the myeloma committees of the Clinical Trials Network and Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology.

He currently serves as senior editor of the journal Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia and is a past chair of the American Society of Hematology scientific committee on plasma cell dyscrasias, a group of disorders linked to blood cancers.

His accolades include the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Innovator Award, the Center of Excellence Award, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Visionary of the Year Award.

A respected educator, Vij has mentored 25 early-career researchers and received the Teacher of the Year Award from the Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Program at WashU Medicine in 2007.

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Education and Career

Dr. Vij completed his medical education at Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, India, followed by postgraduate training at Halifax General Hospital and Royal Infirmary in the United Kingdom.

He completed an internal medicine residency at Rush University in Chicago and fellowships in medical oncology, hematology, and bone marrow transplantation at WashU Medicine. He joined the WashU Medicine faculty in 2000.

What Is Blood Cancer?

Blood cancer is broadly classified into three main types: leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, while lymphoma affects the lymphatic system, particularly the lymph nodes and immune cells. Myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells found in the bone marrow.

These cancers disrupt normal blood cell function and can cause symptoms such as fatigue, infections, and unexplained bleeding.

Symptoms And Treatment

Common symptoms of blood cancer include:

• Persistent fatigue
• Frequent infections
• Unexplained bruising or bleeding
• Weight loss
• Swollen lymph nodes

The causes and risk factors for blood cancer vary. Genetic mutations, exposure to radiation or harmful chemicals, certain infections, and a family history of blood cancer are known risk factors. The risk of developing blood cancer generally increases with age.

Advanced treatment options for blood cancers include immunotherapies such as CAR-T cell therapy and stem cell transplantation.