First death in South Wales measles epidemic: Man, 25, is suspected to have died from disease


  • Man lived in Port Tennant area of Swansea, where measles is rife
  • Has been named locally as Gareth Williams, who was found dead at home
  • Death is ‘unexplained’ with post-mortem examination being carried out today
  • Total number of confirmed infections at 808, with 77 people hospitalised

By
Rachel Reilly

05:10 EST, 19 April 2013

|

08:36 EST, 19 April 2013

Health officials are investigating the death of a person from suspected measles in an epidemic which has already infected more than 800 people in South Wales

Health officials are investigating the death of a person from suspected measles in an epidemic which has already infected more than 800 people in South Wales

The South Wales measles epidemic may have  claimed its first victim, with health experts warning the public to expect more deaths.

A 25-year-old from Swansea, named locally as Gareth Williams, died at his home yesterday morning.

He lived in the Port Tennant area of the city, which is in the middle of a measles epidemic.

Police say the death is ‘unexplained’ but are not treating it as suspicious.

A post-mortem examination is being carried out today, but the results may not known until next week.

Latest figures revealed there are 808 confirmed cases of the disease in the Swansea outbreak which is starting to spread countrywide.

The news comes as two million children risk catching  measles as a result of the MMR scare, doctors warned yesterday.

They said the outbreak in Wales could spread to London, where nearly half of the capital’s children are not vaccinated.

The disease has already infected around 800 children in Swansea.

Dr Helen Bedford, of University College London’s Institute of Child Health, said: ‘There are about two million children who are susceptible because they haven’t been vaccinated. London is a particular case of point.’

Ten years ago, 45 per cent of five-year-olds in London failed to have the required two doses of vaccine. Last year the figure was 81 per cent.

Teenagers aged between 13 and 15 are more likely to be susceptible to measles because of the controversy over the since-discredited report about MMR jabs being linked to autism in the late 1990s.

Dr Bedford told a science conference
in London: ‘There’s a simple message that parents need to be encouraged
to find out if their children have been vaccinated and if not, go out
and do it.’

Today Dr
Marion Lyons, Director of Health Protection, said: ‘Public Health Wales
is aware of a death being investigated by the Swansea Coroner.

‘A
diagnosis of measles has not yet been confirmed. Testing the deceased
for measles is forming part of the investigations being overseen by the
Coroner.

Epidemic: Doctors are urging parents to get their children immunised as a matter of urgency

Epidemic: Doctors are urging parents to get their children immunised as a matter of urgency

‘My sympathies are with the family at such a tragic time. Whatever the cause of death in this case, we should not be surprised if, as the outbreak grows, we start to see deaths in Wales.

‘Measles is a potentially fatal disease and around one in every 1,000 people who contracts measles in developed countries will die.’

Neighbours on the Swansea estate where Mr Williams lived in a flat learned of the potential measles link to his death this afternoon.

‘I think people were under the impression that he died from an asthma attack, that is what I heard,’ said one female neighbour, who did not wish to be named.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MEASLES?

Typical symptoms of measles include fever, cough, conjunctivitis and a rash.

Complications are quite common, even in healthy people, and about 20 per cent of reported measles sufferers experience them.

These can include ear infections, vomiting and diarrhoea, pneumonia, meningitis and serious eye disorders.

‘He was somebody you rarely saw, to be honest. He often used the back way into his flat so you would not even see him coming or going.

‘But it was only when the police and TV cameras turned up that and it was reported on the news that anybody heard anything about measles.’

Earlier in the week, Meirion Evans a consultant epidemiologist, expressed her fears over the outbreak and said: ‘There is a very real concern that we might get a death.’

She added that the number of measles cases is expected to double in the coming weeks.

Extra clinics are expected to be opened at hospitals around Swansea this weekend with health officials anticipating a rush of parents and children wanting the jab.

Health workers have also visited local schools to immunise hundreds of children.

Health officials said over 1,700 jabs were administered in the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board area, which includes Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot and Bridgend.

Since the beginning of the outbreak, a total of 77 people have been hospitalised because of the contagious disease.

Many of those being treated are babies and teenagers, with the latter said to be most at risk.

The Government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Mark Walport, said it was ‘vital’ parents vaccinated their children against measles.

Referring to the scare over the safety of the triple MMR jab he said: ‘Frankly that was about a piece of extremely bad science.

It is an example of how people forget the danger of diseases such as measles, they become complacent when it appears to have disappeared.

‘But it’s just, I think, very clear evidence of the huge importance of vaccination. It was and has been one of the major interventions in public health and it’s absolutely vital that people vaccinate their children.’

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

‘here is also evidence that in some children the MMR vacine causes autism’[- snib-one , London, Algeria – THERE IS NO EVIDENCE! Dr Wakefields study was retracted as it was found his results were manipulated and he had interest in keeping the single vaccines selling. There have been TWENTY FIVE studies since the 1998 Wakefield study proving no link to autism.
Please do some research before you say these things, you put anyone willing to listen to your educated rubbish at risk.

JT
,

Top right hand corner England,
19/4/2013 13:25

A case of measles has just been confirmed in my children’s school here in wakefield so please remember it’s not just contained to Wales .please immunize your kids

sazdaz
,

wakefield,
19/4/2013 13:25

What is this article supposed to be about? You lot cant wait for someone to die can you. Measles is easily treatable with vitamin A (best in water) so nobody should die ffromit these days, nor have any long term damage.. If they do it is medical negligence on the part of their GP and nothing to do with MMR. This is just crazy mass hysteria and its about time it stopped.

mindful22
,

Southampton, United Kingdom,
19/4/2013 13:25

I had measles as a child(long before vacs were around).I was deathly ill and developed pnuemonia which left me with weak lungsand lifelong problems.

Brit abroad
,

Florida,
19/4/2013 13:24

This is a tragic, tragic lesson. Let’s hope it saves many, many lives and stops blindness, heart and brain damage. Please get your kids vaccinated and make measles a thing of the past.

only me
,

UK,
19/4/2013 13:21

The MMR controversy was in 1998. This man would have been 10, so would have already had all his injections. If he has died of measles, then presumably it will be because any immunity had worn off.

Me
,

Somewhere, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba,
19/4/2013 13:21

Why aren’t measles, mumps and rubella available as single vaccines? If they were, parents would have a choice of MMR or separate vaccines… and maybe more children would be immunised.

Lindy
,

Sydney Australia,
19/4/2013 13:19

That’s why both my kids had the MMR last weekend, despite what Hitchens thinks.

King of Europe
,

Newport, United Kingdom,
19/4/2013 13:15

MAKE VACCINES BETTER (suited to ALL known body/blood/immune system types by getting rid of the UNSCIENTIFIC triple vaccines to improve testing to lessen VACCINE SIDE-EFFECT RISK)… We are different individuals, people-counters…

PrivateSi
,

WORCS,
19/4/2013 13:12

This outbreak is the fault of the government who in the hight of the MMR link to autism refused to give single measles vacination on the NHS. There is also evidence that in some children the MMR vacine causes autism, this of course is denied by both the government and the drug company who get alot of revenue from the MMR so in my opinion this cant be trusted. My son has not had MMR but has had single measles vacine as measles in horrible.
– snib-one , London, Algeria, 19/4/2013 ___The fault is with the parents who believed ONE man who said there was a link to autism who has now said there was never ever a strong enough link between MMR and autism to warrant parents to not allow their children the MMR Vaccince in the first place and has said he himself was foolish to have ever said it….Anyway even if
there was a small risk, I’take that over my child dying a horrendous death from Measles anyday.

Gemma
,

Durrington..wilts..UK, United Kingdom,
19/4/2013 13:11

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

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