Long Measles: It’s like Long Covid, But Deadlier.

How the measles virus can erode the brain and leave lasting neurological disabilities.

Figure 1. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of a 13-year-old boy with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Panels A and B are taken at the time of presentation in the neurology clinic, while panels C and D are taken 3 months later. The initial MRI scan (A and B) reveals a focal abnormality in the subcortical white matter of the left frontal lobe. In the follow-up scan, the focal abnormality in the left frontal lobe is less obvious than previously (arrow in D), but advanced and diffuse cortical atrophy (degeneration) is present (arrowheads in C). Source: Bonthius et al. (2000), Emerging Infectious Diseases (Public Domain).

The above MRI scan belonged to a 13-year-old boy adopted from a Thai orphanage as a toddler, who had been thriving in Iowa with no known history of serious illness (Figure 1). But nearly a decade after arriving in the U.S., his behavior began to change. Teachers noticed memory lapses. His mother saw mood swings and tremors. Then came the seizures. By the time an MRI revealed widespread brain damage, it was too late. He had developed subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare brain neurodegenerative disease caused by a dormant measles virus. The boy did not survive. Tragically, his story is not as rare as most might think.

Most people think of measles as a childhood rash that comes and goes. But not many realize it’s actually a virus with the power to erase immune memory, hijack neurons, and resurface years later to incapacitate the brain. In the age of Long Covid, it’s time we talk about Long Measles.

Backdrop

As an ancient infectious agent, the measles virus has resurfaced due to a drop in vaccination. In the U.S., over 700 confirmed measles cases had been reported as of April 10, 2025, already surpassing the 285 total cases…