Immunity Amnesia

#TIL When infected with measles, the immune system takes a reboot and abruptly erases every memory of pathogen it’s had before, essentially making your body vulnerable to infections. Rebuilding immunity takes years…

in 2002, a group of Japanese scientists discovered that the receptor the measles virus binds to – a kind of molecular lock that allows it to enter the body – isn’t in the lungs, as you would expect for a respiratory virus. Instead, it’s on cells from the immune system.

“Measles suppresses the immune system, and activates it at the same time,” says Swart. Though measles deletes immune memories, there is one exception to these losses. Oddly, the only virus you’ll definitely be able to recognise after falling sick with measles is measles itself. The measles paradox

This was a fascinating read!