Subacute Sclerosing PanEncephalitis (SSPE)

This is a rare form of chronic progressive brain inflammation caused by slow infection with certain defective strains of hypermutated measles virus. The condition primarily affects children, teens, and young adults. It has been estimated that about 1 in 10,000 people who get measles will eventually develop SSPE.[1] However, a 2016 study estimated that the rate for babies who contracted measles was as high as 1 in 609.[2] No cure for SSPE exists, and the condition is almost always fatal.