The Measles

By Felicia2020 on May 23, 2008 | Reply

It’s a disease spread by the Measles virus.
Check it out on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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By helper InNeed on May 26, 2008 | Reply

Measles is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus. Contagious means the disease spreads very easily.

Measles is caused by a virus. The infection is spread by contact with droplets from the nose, mouth, or throat of an infected person. For example, sneezing and coughing can put contaminated droplets into the air. Symptoms occur generally 8 to 12 days after you are exposed to the virus. This is called the incubation period.

Persons with the measles typically have a fever, cough, redness and irritation of the eyes (conjunctivitis), and a rash that spreads. Those who have had an active measles infection or who have been vaccinated against the measles have immunity to the disease.

Before widespread immunization, measles was so common during childhood that most people became sick with the disease by age 20. While the number of measles cases dropped over the last several decades to virtually none in the U.S. and Canada, rates have started to rise again recently.

Some parents do not let their children receive become vaccinated because of fears that the MMR vaccine, which protects against Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, can cause autism. Large studies of thousands of children have found no connection between this vaccine and the development of autism. However, failure to vaccinate children can lead to outbreaks of a measles, mumps, and rubella — all of which are potentially serious diseases of childhood.

Symptoms are

Sore throat
Runny nose
Cough
Muscle pain
Fever
Bloodshot eyes
Tiny white spots inside the mouth (Koplik’s spots)
Photophobia (light sensitivity)
Rash
Usually appears 3 to 5 days after the first signs of being sick
May last 4 to 7 days
Usually starts on the head and spreads to other areas, moving down the body
Rash may appear as flat, discolored areas (macules) and solid, red, raised areas (papules) that later join together
Itchy

Signs and tests are
Viral culture (rarely done)
Measles serology

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for the measles.

Symptoms may be relieved with bed rest, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and humidified air.

Some children may need supplementation with vitamin A. Vitamin A reduces the risk of death and complications in children in less developed countries. However, because such children may be deficient in vitamin A, it is not clear if children in other countries would benefit. People who are deficient in vitamin A are more likely to get infections, including measles.

Ribavirin, an anti-viral medicine, may be helpful in severe cases or when a child’s immune system is weakened. However, this medicine has not been fully evaluated and is not FDA-approved for this use.

Those who do not have complications such as pneumonia do very well.

Complications of measles infection may include:

Otitis media
Bronchitis
Pneumonia
Encephalitis (occurs in approximately 1 out of 1,000 measles cases)

Call your health care provider if you or your child has symptoms of measle

Routine immunization is highly effective in the prevention of measles. Unimmunized or under-immunized people are at high risk for catching the disease.

Serum immune globulin given 6 days after exposure to the virus can reduce the risk of developing measles or decrease the severity of the disease

By Achyut Raj D on May 29, 2008 | Reply

Measles

Also known rubeola means red spots

H/O measles is probably as ancient as human civilization
Was confused with small pox.

In 1690 Thomas Sydenham gave first accurate description

Problem
Endemic in all parts of the world
Epidemics occur when susceptible children reach 40%
When occurs in virgin community 90 % of that community will be infected
Case fatality rate in developing countries is 2-15%, in developed world it is 0.2/10,000

Measles virus
a.RNA paramyxo virus
b.rapidly inactivated by heat, light, acidic pH, ether,
c.and trypsin. It has a short survival time (3days, and
Cough or coryza or conjunctivitis

Rash of measles
2-4 days after prodrome, 14 days after exposure
Maculopapular, becomes confluent
Begins on face and head
Persists 5-6 days
Fades in order of appearance

By gangadharan_nair on May 29, 2008 | Reply

Please see the webpages for more details on Measles (Rubeola).
Routine immunization is highly effective in the prevention of measles. Unimmunized or under-immunized people are at high risk for catching the disease.