Ammritanandamayi and Measles!

Here is an interesting news item. This is a press release issued by the Communicable Diseases Network Australia on 21 April 2006.

Media release
21 April 2006

The Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) today issued a warning about measles following the discovery of seven cases of the disease in Western Australia over Easter that are linked to a national spiritual tour.

Six of the cases of measles are in unimmunised children, aged between two and 10 years, who attended or interacted with those attending workshops held by the Amma (Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi) group in Fremantle at the end of March. The seventh case is in an unimmunised adult.

The Amma Australian tour also included meetings and retreats in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Some of these gatherings attracted crowds of up to 1000 people. The tour group departed Australia for Singapore on 17 April.

CDNA Deputy Chair, Dr Vicki Krause, said anyone aged under 45 years who attended the Amma meetings and events and who has not previously received two doses of measles vaccine should contact their medical practitioner to arrange urgent MMR or measles vaccination.

'It appears the measles virus in the Western Australian cases was introduced by overseas visitors with measles attending the Amma tour gatherings. The disease has spread to local families with unimmunised children and adults involved with the tour group,' Dr Krause said.

'Because of high local immunisation rates in recent years, measles is now a rare disease in Australia. Measles is however a severe and highly infectious disease so it is vitally important that anyone not immune to measles who has been potentially exposed be vaccinated as soon a possible.

'The vaccine is available free from general practitioners and immunisation providers. It is important to note that homeopathic remedies do not provide protection against measles.

'Anybody who has had contact with the Amma group and develops measles-like symptoms should seek urgent medical care.

'It is important that if symptoms do occur to phone the doctor or hospital in advance so arrangements can be made to prevent spreading measles to other patients.

Dr Krause said State Public Health Units in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland were working closely with the Amma organisation to identify people who attended the national tour.

'Australian doctors also need to be aware of this situation and any measles cases that may develop should be urgently notified to the relevant State or Territory Health Department or Public Health Unit so that further spread of the disease is minimised,' she said.

The incubation period for measles is around 10 days.

Early symptoms of measles include a cough, runny nose, high fever, conjunctivitis or a red blotchy rash that may appear three days later starting on the face and spreading to the rest of the body. Measles can be a severe disease, particularly in adults and very young children.

The CDNA has prepared a fact sheet about this measles outbreak. The fact sheet is available at: www.health.gov.au/cdna

Does the above report require any comment? Amma and her followers claim that she has powers that cures even incurable diseases. But now in Australia she has become the conduit of spreading this highly infectious disease, which had become a rare disease in that continent after a stringent immunisation programmes.

The report says that more than a thousand assembled to greet this lady. But here in India she meets, on a regular basis, thousands upon on thousands of credulous people. As no screening is done to bar those who are carrying the germs of infectious diseases, her popular but contreversial HUG THERAPY has become an extremely dangerous exercise in spreading various communicable diseases in our impoverised country. The local authorites should take immediate action to prevent this. And her devotees should exhibit a little more rationality.