Measles Hit 5,000 In Israel – Hebrew media
No fewer than 5,000 people mostly children have been diagnosed with measles in Israel as the country’s fragile health system battles with the highly contagious disease since April.
According to Hebrew media, Israel is grappling to contain the highly contagious virus which has claimed lives in nine settlements across the country.
Reports on Sunday said a two-year-old girl succumbed to complications from the infection at Hadassah-University Medical Center, Ein Kerem, following a ten-day hospitalization in serious condition.
The current wave, initially concentrated in vaccination low-coverage areas like Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and Bnei Brak, has expanded significantly recently.
Official data indicates that over 1,700 patients have been diagnosed with measles, but statistical models estimate the actual number of infected individuals is closer to 5,000.
“We know that the illness is being underdiagnosed, and there are a few thousand additional patients with the disease,” said Sharon Alroy-Preis, Israel’s chief epidemiologist.
The disease is placing a severe burden on the Israeli health system, with 468 patients requiring hospitalization, 93% of whom are children.
