The World Health Organization recognizes eight clades, named A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H. Twenty-three strains of the measles virus have been identified and designated within these clades. While at Merck, Maurice Hilleman developed the first successful vaccine. Licensed vaccines to prevent the disease became available in 1963. An improved measles vaccine became available in 1968. Measles as an endemic disease was eliminated from the United States in 2000, but continues to be reintroduced by international travelers. In 2019 there were at least 1,241 cases of measles in the United States distributed across 31 states, with over three quarters in New York. Society and culture
German anti-vaccination campaigner and HIV/AIDS denialist Stefan Lanka posed a challenge on his website in 2011, offering a sum of €100,000 for anyone who could scientifically prove that measles is caused by a virus and determine the diameter of the virus. He posited that the illness is psychosomatic and that the measles virus does not exist. When provided with overwhelming scientific evidence from various medical studies by German physician David Bardens, Lanka did not accept the findings, forcing Bardens to appeal in court. The initial legal case ended with the ruling that Lanka was to pay the prize. However, on appeal, Lanka was ultimately not required to pay the award because the submitted evidence did not meet his exact requirements.
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External links
Genetests/NCBI/NIH/UW entries on Hyperphosphatemic Familial Tumoral Calcinosis