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The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) released a report on Thursday in response to the biggest outbreak of measles in seven years. Already this year, there have been 64 reported cases in 9 states. Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus and transmitted usually through coughing. Adding to the spread, an infected person may continue to be contagious even after their symptoms disappear. The most common symptoms are a high fever, coughing, and a splotchy red rash all over the body.

Of the 64 cases, all but one of the people had not been vaccinated, and 54 of the cases contracted the disease through importation from another country. Although none of the victims have died of  yet, measles is a serious respiratory disease that if left untreated can kill. The disease itself does not usually kill, but it’s complications do. The next steps to measles can be pneumonia and infections that can lead to blindness.

Learn more about the report released by the CDC here.

This week’s story on leeching therapy continues last week’s blood theme. Just when it seemed that the medicinal use of leeches had died out, the story of actress Demi Moore’s trip to Austria brought it back. She says “it detoxifies your blood”, yet still, many get turned off by the idea of bloodsucking parasites hanging off of them. Thus, a mechanical leech is in the works. The scientists working on it claim that it has the same effeect, but without the “added psychological stress” of using real leeches.

Leech therapy works in two ways. First, it mimics the old practice of cutting, which some believed helped detoxify the blood. Many, however, do not believe that leeches are actually effective in this way. The second way that leech therapy works is that the gentle sucking of the leech promotes circulation in damaged tissues. Hence, this therapy is useful for damaged tissues and during surgical emergencies to avoid the loss of tissue and maintain blood flow. So, in this way, leeching may actually help contribute to Demi Moore’s complexion, if not her “clean blood.”

In early March, there was a scare involving a popular drug used for serious heart conditions or to prevent them in patients undergoing heart surgeries. This was certainly a serious matter, as the drug was used on those who were seriously ill. The active ingredient in Heparin, which is supposed to be a blood-thinner, had been replaced by a cheap counterfeit – over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate – which is actually used to relieve joint pain. The contaminated Heparin was traced back to a U.S. owned factory in China, adding yet another product to the list of recalls stemming from China. The FDA is currently running an investigation to find out if the addition of the contaminant was accidental.

Reports of severe reactions to the contaminated Heparin began in late February. An article in The New York Times reported that those who received Heparin were
experiencing breathing difficulties, vomiting, nausea, excessive sweating and serious drops in blood pressure which led to life-threatening shock in some of those cases. Fortunately, once the contaminant had been identified, the FDA stated that Heparin production was safe once again. Unfortunately, this slip-up in proper regulation may have led to the death of nineteen patients who suffered from serious heart conditions and used the contaminated Heparin.

Learn more here