The Israeli flight attendant who contracted measles on a flight from New York in March has passed away after spending months in the hospital.
Contracted Measles During Flight
43-year-old Rotem Amitai died on Tuesday at the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva, Israel after contracting measles and falling into a coma.
The El Al flight attendant contracted the infectious disease while flying from John F. Kennedy Airport to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on March 26.
She was hospitalized a few days later when she started to show symptoms associated with the virus, which include a high fever and a rash. Her condition eventually deteriorated. She fell into a coma after developing encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.
Encephalitis may occur in some individuals who contract measles. This can happen when the virus infects the brain. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one of every 1,000 children who get measles develop encephalitis.
Vaccinated As A Child
Amitai received vaccination as a child, but like many people her age, she only received one dose of the vaccine. The vaccine may not have been strong enough to protect her from contracting the virus.
Today, health authorities in Israel recommend giving children one dose of the vaccine when they turn 1 year old and another dose when they reach the first grade.
El Al Airlines expressed its condolences to Amitai's family and assured it is doing its part in protecting other members of the aircrew.
"The company will continue to act on the matter in accordance with the health ministry's guidelines," the company said. "Once the case became known, the company acted to vaccinate the company's air crews. The company shares the deep grief ... and will continue to accompany the family."
Measles Outbreak Worldwide
Countries all over the world including Israel and the United States are experiencing an increase in measles cases.
The disease was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 but the disease saw a recent resurgence. Figures from the CDC show the country already has over 1,100 cases this year and more than 75 percent of these cases have been in New York.
Health authorities blame the recent measles outbreaks on people who refuse to be vaccinated.
