Severe measles in immunocompromised patients

Abstract

Measles is a severe illness in immunocompromised patients, and the absence of rash is frequent. While treatment is supportive, ribavirin requires further study. Measles vaccine may be efficacious in HIV-infected patients. Vaccination of oncology patients should be reassessed.

Modulation of disease, T cell responses, and measles virus clearance in monkeys vaccinated with H-encoding alphavirus replicon particles

“…The critical factors for clearance of MV are not known. Individuals with compromised cellular immune responses clear virus slowly (65) and are at risk for progressive infection leading to giant cell pneumonia or measles inclusion body encephalitis (66,67). CD8 ϩ T cells are induced by infection (68,69) and infiltrate sites of MV replication (8,70,71).…”

Vaccination of stem cell transplant recipients: recommendations of the Infectious Diseases Working Party of the EBMT

“…Severe and also fatal measles infections have been reported in SCT recipients. 43,44 During a recent large outbreak in Brazil, one of eight patients with measles developed interstitial pneumonia, but all survived. 45 Most allogeneic SCT patients will become seronegative to measles during extended follow-up.…”

Measles immunity after allogeneic stem cell transplantation; influence of donor type, graft type, intensity of conditioning, and graft-versus host disease

“…1,2 This is important since occasional severe and fatal measles infections have been reported in SCT recipients. 3,4 During a recent large outbreak in Brazil, one of eight patients with measles developed interstitial pneumonia but all survived. 2 New technologies have been introduced including an increasing use of unrelated donors, the use of peripheral stem cell grafts, and the use of reduced intensity conditioning regimens.…”