A new study reveals that undernutrition may be fueling the global measles outbreak, highlighting the need for better child nutrition.
South Africa: A recent study from McGill University shows undernutrition is a big factor in the global measles outbreak. Researchers teamed up with UC Berkeley and the University of Pretoria for this important work.
They looked at kids in South Africa and found that those who were undernourished had much lower levels of measles antibodies, even if they had been vaccinated. They tracked the kids’ growth and checked their blood for antibody levels.
Kids who were stunted by age three had about 24% fewer measles antibodies by age five compared to their peers. This suggests that undernutrition might mess with how long the vaccine protects them.
Brenda Eskenazi, a professor at UC Berkeley, emphasized the need to vaccinate kids against preventable diseases. She pointed out that with climate change, we might see more diseases spreading.
In 2022, around 148 million kids under five were stunted, mostly in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The researchers plan to keep an eye on these kids as they grow to see if early undernutrition has lasting effects.
Measles cases hit a nearly decade-high in 2024, with reports even coming from Canada. This viral infection spreads easily and can cause serious symptoms like rashes and fever.
Brian Ward, a co-author from McGill, noted that measles cases dropped from 2000 to 2016 but started rising again in 2018. This increase is partly due to under-vaccination and the pandemic’s impact. Despite being preventable, measles is making a comeback worldwide.
