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Mainichi Daily News (mdn.mainichi.co.jp)
(10/28/02) P. 1
Officials from Japan's National Center for
Contagious Diseases have confirmed that 109 people in Kitaibaraki contracted a
rare and deadly H-1 strain of measles in February and March of this year. While
the new strain affected people of all ages, 78 of the patients were junior high
school students. Japan typically only sees the D3 and D5 strains of measles;
officials say H-1 appeared for the first time three years ago in Hong Kong.
Officials note that although most of those infected this year had been
vaccinated against the usual strains, H-1 emerged as those immunizations began
to wane. Students who were infected even though they had been vaccinated
against measles also experienced less severe symptoms than individuals who had
not been immunized, officials said.
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-- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
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