Measles is a serious airborne disease caused
by a virus that can cause serious complications and death
The measles vaccine is believed to have
prevented nearly fifty-eight million deaths between 2000 and 2022, although
there were 136,000 measles-related deaths worldwide, mostly among unvaccinated
children less than 5 years
Measles is a highly contagious disease that
spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, and can
affect anyone but is more common in young children.
The disease infects a person's respiratory
tract and then spreads to the rest of the body with symptoms including high
fever, cough, runny nose and rash all over the body.
Getting the measles vaccine is the best way to
prevent it from spreading to people who are not already infected.
However, the vaccine is safe and helps your
body fight off the measles virus by boosting your immune system, which means
the disease is less likely to affect people who have had the measles vaccine.
Symptoms of measles
Symptoms of the disease appear 10 to 14 days
after the disease spreads to the body, with a rash being the most common
symptom.
Also the symptoms can last from 4 to 7 days
Runny nose
Cough
Red eyes
Rashes
The complications of measles include
Blind
Infection in the brain and possible brain
damage
Diarrhea
An ear infection
Breathing problems
If a woman contracts measles during pregnancy,
this can be dangerous for the mother and cause the fetus to be born prematurely
and with a low birth weight.
Complications of measles are most common in
children under 5 years of age and adults over 30 years of age.
Malnourished children are more vulnerable to
complications from measles, especially those who do not have enough vitamin A
or have weakened immune systems from other diseases.
Measles is believed to be one of the diseases
that suppress the immune system which means that children are more susceptible
to complications from this disease.
Who is at risk for this disease?
Anyone who is not immune or not vaccinated can
get the disease
Unvaccinated young children and pregnant women
are at risk from measles, which is still prevalent in Africa, the Middle East
and Asia.
Measles deaths are mostly reported to occur in
low-income countries, which means that there is less effort to increase
vaccination campaigns because there is not enough finance to drive the
vaccination
Transmission of the disease
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases
in the world and is spread by touching the secretions from the nose or throat
of an infected person and by breathing in the air of a person with measles.
The virus is highly contagious, which is why
it is believed that one person with measles can spread the disease to 9 people
in the same household unless they are vaccinated.
Treatment of the disease
There is no specific treatment for the
disease, but health care providers should focus on reducing symptoms and preventing
complications.
Drinking enough water and rehydration therapy
can replace the fluid lost by the patient during the crisis, and eating a
healthy diet is also important.
Doctors can use decongestants to treat
pneumonia, ear and eye infections
All children and adults with measles should
receive two doses of vitamin A supplement taken 24 hours apart.
This restores the low levels of vitamin A that
occur even in well-nourished children and can also help prevent eye diseases
and blindness.
It has also been reported that vitamin A
supplementation can reduce the number of deaths caused by serious complications
from measles.
Prevention of disease
Vaccinating the whole community is the most
effective way to prevent measles
All children should be vaccinated against
measles
Vaccination is effective and safe
Children should receive two doses of the
vaccine to ensure immunity
The first dose is usually given at 9 months of
age in countries where measles is common
The second dose is given between 15 and 18
months
The risk of measles is particularly high in
refugee camps and vaccination should be done as soon as possible.
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