Isolated Amazonian tribe could be ‘wiped out’ by measles after a rampant outbreak in Brazil has swept through their 35,000-strong community
- Nearly two dozen Yanomami have sought treatment for measles-like symptoms
- One case has already been confirmed among the 35,000-strong spiritual tribe
- The isolated tribe live in deep in the rainforest, between Brazil and Venezuela
- Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily through the air
2
View
comments
Fears have been raised that an isolated Amazonian tribe could be ‘wiped out’ after a measles outbreak has swept through their community.
Nearly two dozen Yanomami have sought treatment for measles-like symptoms amid a rampant outbreak in Brazil that has struck hundreds.
One case has already been confirmed among the 35,000-strong spiritual tribe, who live deep in the world’s biggest rainforest, between Brazil and Venezuela.
Nearly two dozen Yanomami have sought treatment for measles-like symptoms amid a rampant outbreak in Brazil that has struck hundreds
One case has already been confirmed among the 35,000-strong spiritual tribe, who live deep in the the world’s rainforest, between Brazil and Venezuela
‘These tribes are the most vulnerable peoples on the planet,’ said Stephen Corry, director of Survival International, a campaign group for tribal people’s rights.
‘Urgent medical care is the only thing standing between these communities and utter devastation.
‘When tribal people experience common diseases like measles or flu which they’ve never known before many of them die, and whole populations can be wiped out.’
-
You are as young as you feel: People’s brains age slower if… 
Could THIS save thousands of people dying from sepsis?… 
Gum disease makes men twice as likely to have difficulty… 
Humans are still CONSCIOUS when under general anaesthetic:…
Share this article
Many more could be sick in Venezuela, where Survival International said it is harder to get information amid the country’s economic crisis.
Survival International said a measles outbreak among the Yanomami in the 1960s killed nearly 10 per cent of those infected.
The tribe are also under threat from thousands of gold-miners working illegally on their land, transmitting diseases and polluting the rivers and forest with mercury.
‘These tribes are the most vulnerable peoples on the planet,’ said Stephen Corry, director of Survival International, a campaign group for tribal people’s rights
Many more could be sick in Venezuela, where Survival International said it is harder to get information amid the country’s economic crisis
More than 460 cases of measles have been confirmed in two Brazilian states that border Venezuela, Roraima and Amazonas.
The outbreak in Brazil, home to 207 million people, comes two years after the World Health Organization declared the Americas free of measles.
Officials fear the cases have been imported from Venezuela, where health services have collapsed and cases of measles have soared.
Hundreds of thousands have fled the crisis-ridden South American nation as its economy has been left ruined.
More than 2,000 cases have been recorded in Venezuela since the infection began spreading last year, official figures show.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily through the air, by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing.
Symptoms of measles include fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat and a rash that spreads over the body. It can be life-threatening in one in 15 cases.
Brazilian health officials battling to contain the outbreak have offered vaccinations to both unprotected locals and refugees who register with the police.
Some 200 cases of measles have been confirmed in Roraima, and a further 263 in Amazonas. But hundreds more are being investigated.
Three other states – Rio Grande do Sul, Rondônia and Mato Grosso – have also had confirmed cases of measles, which can lead to pneumonia.
Survival International said a measles outbreak among the Yanomami in the 1960s killed nearly 10 per cent of those infected
WHAT IS MEASLES, WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND HOW CAN YOU CATCH IT?
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily from an injected person by coughing, sneezing or even just breathing.
Symptoms develop between six and 19 days after infection, and include a runny nose, cough, sore eyes, a fever and a rash.
The rash appears as red and blotchy marks on the hairline that travel down over several days, turning brown and eventually fading.
Some children complain of disliking bright lights or develop white spots with red backgrounds on their tongue.
In one in 15 cases, measles can cause life-threatening complications including pneumonia, convulsions and encephalitis.
Dr Ava Easton, chief executive of the Encephalitis Society told MailOnline: ‘Measles can be very serious.
‘[It] can cause encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain.
‘Encephalitis can result in death or disability.’
Treatment focuses on staying hydrated, resting and taking painkillers, if necessary.
Measles can be prevented by receiving two vaccinations, the first at 13 months old and the second at three years and four months to five years old.
Source: Great Ormond Street Hospital
It comes after Public Health England issued another warning for people to check they have had both doses of the MMR jab as the infection continues to spread.
Some 643 people have been diagnosed with the contagious infection in England this year, and there are large outbreaks across Europe.
The number of cases in England is rising quickly – the figure has increased by more than half since the beginning of May, when 440 cases had been confirmed.
There were over 13,000 reported cases of measles on the continent in the year leading up to April, with the most in Italy, France, Greece and Romania.
PHE said it is important for travellers to make sure they are vaccinated because adults who catch measles are more likely to end up in hospital than children.
Source: Read Full Article