In a hard-to-watch video, a healthy-looking 4-year-old boy lies on a bed as doctors lift his eyelids to watch his big brown eyes erratically swirl and roll backward. His head jerks, and his little limbs weakly twitch and spasm. A small bit of foam pushes past his lips.

The video, captured by neurologists in India and published today in JAMA Neurology , shows what it looks like when the measles virus is allowed to ravage a child's brain. (The video can be viewed here .)

The boy was never vaccinated and developed a rare complication from measles called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). The condition occurs when the measles virus quietly sneaks into the central nervous system. It often lurks for years after an initial infection before it begins wreaking havoc, triggering damaging inflammation, destroying neurons, and causing brain lesions.

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In a hard-to-watch video, a healthy-looking 4-year-old boy lies on a bed as doctors lift his eyelids to watch his big brown eyes erratically swirl and roll backward. His head jerks, and his little limbs weakly twitch and spasm. A small bit of foam pushes past his lips.

The video, captured by neurologists in India and published today in JAMA Neurology , shows what it looks like when the measles virus is allowed to ravage a child's brain. (The video can be viewed here .)

The boy was never vaccinated and developed a rare complication from measles called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). The condition occurs when the measles virus quietly sneaks into the central nervous system. It often lurks for years after an initial infection before it begins wreaking havoc, triggering damaging inflammation, destroying neurons, and causing brain lesions.

Read full article

Comments

In a hard-to-watch video, a healthy-looking 4-year-old boy lies on a bed as doctors lift his eyelids to watch his big brown eyes erratically swirl and roll backward. His head jerks, and his little limbs weakly twitch and spasm. A small bit of foam pushes past his lips.

The video, captured by neurologists in India and published today in JAMA Neurology , shows what it looks like when the measles virus is allowed to ravage a child's brain. (The video can be viewed here .)

The boy was never vaccinated and developed a rare complication from measles called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). The condition occurs when the measles virus quietly sneaks into the central nervous system. It often lurks for years after an initial infection before it begins wreaking havoc, triggering damaging inflammation, destroying neurons, and causing brain lesions.

Read full article

Comments