SSPE is a rare and fatal brain disease. It is linked to measles infection, and it is fair to say it is the most complicated form of measles. The cause of the disease is the failure to give a child the measles vaccine in early childhood. Because developed countries have effective vaccination, the rate of the disease is also low there. The disease generally affects children and young people, and among those who contract it, men outnumber women. Children who are infected with measles before the age of two are more likely to develop the disease.
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is caused by the mutant measles virus, which is an altered form of the virus and is more dangerous than the original virus, because the original virus does not damage the brain, whereas this virus takes up permanent residence in the patient's brain; even so, the symptoms of the disease begin to appear many years after the initial measles infection has cleared up. Symptoms generally appear in people under 20, and the patient dies within one to three years of the symptoms appearing.
According to experts, the disease has four stages, each more severe and harsher than the last. The virus first causes inflammation in the patient's brain, which damages brain tissue and consequently brings changes in the patient's mood, behaviour and personality; the patient becomes irritable and their concentration declines, while memory and cognitive activity are also affected. In the next stage the virus begins to destroy brain cells, as a result of which the patient's muscles stiffen and they suffer seizures, while speaking and swallowing become difficult, that is, coordination is lost. When the disease progresses further, that is, reaches the third stage, lesions form in the patient's brain, altering its structure, and the transmission of signals between different parts of the brain also begins to be obstructed; the result emerges in the form of numerous neurological disorders, memory and sight may be lost, and the severity of the seizures also increases. In the final stage, the parts of the brain that control the heart and lungs are destroyed, the patient slips into a coma and eventually dies.
Unfortunately, the disease is still incurable, and the only way to hold it in check is to use medicines that can control its symptoms and strengthen the patient's immune system (defence system), and to give the patient a great deal of care. The disease is a distorted and highly complicated form of measles. It is in no way caused by depression. Regarding the child "Ammar", who died of this disease in Lahore a few days ago, some people hold the misleading view that Ammar contracted it because of depression, although depression is not among the causes of this disease.
According to the doctors, Ammar was a stage three or four (third or fourth stage) patient. How is it possible that his parents were unaware of this? The doctors must surely have informed the parents of the severity of the child's (Ammar's) illness and of his possible death, because it is a doctor's duty to inform them of the true severity or nature of the disease and its likely outcomes. It is astonishing that a father could even think of leaving his child in such a critical condition to attack military installations and state property. How could he leave his son in this state and threaten the country's leadership, when we all know that the law prescribes severe punishments for such crimes?
