Dr. Phillipa Gorden, a well-regarded pediatrician in Park Slope, put the word out on Park Slope Parents about two cases of measles in the area. She started with this concise post.

Not
sure
if
this
has
been
reported
yet,
but
there
is
a
little
outbreak of
measles
in
Brooklyn
—
and
it
is
homegrown,
not
imported
from
another country.

I am guessing that some PSP members got a little agitated. One woman, a self-described hypochondriac, wrote to say that she appreciated the heads
up,
but wondered what she’s supposed
to
do
with this
information? 
Watch
for
fever
and
red
spots? 
Avoid
indoor
public
germfests
like
B&N?

Dr. Gordon sent out this second post to allay her fears. But it sure contains some scary information.

Sorry
everyone,
I
did
not
mean
to
start
a
panic. It’s
only
2 cases! 
 

The
primary
case 
contracted
the
disease
and
passed
it
on
to an
unimmunized
family
member. 
But
why
it’s
interesting
is
that
the index
case
had
not
been
out
of
the
country, 
which
means
he
or
she
was exposed
to
the
disease
within
New
York
City.

Since 
the
mid-nineties, almost
all
cases
of
measles
have
been
imported
–either
visitors
to
USA from
other
countries,
or
US
residents
returning
from
trips
abroad. 
From a
public
health
point
of
view
this
is
extremely
interesting. 

Measles outbreaks
can
only
occur
when 
so-
called
"herd
immunity"
fails
—
that
is,
when
the
number
of
susceptible
people
in
a
community
increases
to
a
certain
percentage,
transmission
occurs,
but
if
the
number
of susceptible
people
in
a
community
is
low,
the
community
cannot
sustain an
outbreak. 

So
it
raises
questions
as
to
the
status
of
our
community with
regard
to
herd
immunity,
and
the
Dept.
of
Health
will
be
watching carefully. 
Occasionally
they
have
to
institute
quarantines
—
some
may remember
that
last
year
there
was
an
outbreak
of
chicken
pox
at
321
and the
DOH
came
and
sent
home
children
who
had
no
proof
of
immunity. 

Interestingly,
if
a
disease
becomes
very
prevalent,
some
people
who
are
immunized
will
catch
it
anyway.

As
far
as
what
we
as
parents
need
to
worry
about,
if
your
child
is
immunized,
no
problem. 
The
disease
consists
of
fever,
cough,
runny
nose,
conjunctivitis,
and
a
lacy
red
rash. 
Also
spots
inside
the
mouth
called
Koplik’s
spots. 
Kids
under
5
are
more
at
risk
for complications. 
Acute
encephalitis
causing
permanent
brain
damage
occurs in
one
out
of
a
thousand
cases,
and
death
occurs
in
one
to
three
out
of a
thousand
cases. 
In
addition
there
is
a
chronic 
irreversible degenerative
central
nervous
system
syndrome
known
as
subacute sclerosing
panencephalitis 
that
is
very
very
rare
and
has
hasn’t
occurred
in
the
US
in
many
years.

As
children
are
infectious
one
to
three
days
before
symptoms
occur,
it’s
a
crap
shoot,
but
staying
home
if
your
child 
have
fever
or
rash,
and
making
sure
your
child’s
immunizations
are
up
to
date
if
you
do
intend
to
vaccinate
them
are
the
best
bet
for
now.