Measles or rubeola with its other name is a respiratory system infection. Illness mostly occurs by Morbillivirus. Measles is a highly contagious illness. %90 of people sharing the same room with Measles infected person will catch it if they are without immunity. Incubation period of illness is nine to twelve days. Only human is known as the natural host of the virus. Animals don’t carry it. Today, there are lots of treatment ways for Measles but it’s not possible to stop all endemics. It’s possible to see lots of reasons for this problem. For example northern Nigeria faced a big measles outbreak because some radicals claimed that Measles vaccine is a tool America is using for killing Muslims. After some controversies, outbreak spread large and hundreds of children died of Measles. How many symptoms of Measles are there?
Measles show first symptoms depending on infected human’s strength. Some patients show first signs on 5th day and some shows then on 10th day. Measles mostly starts with cold-like symptoms. Watery eyes, sneezing and runny nose are generally first symptoms of Measles. Some patients’ shows sensitivity to light and eyes starts to red. Temperature starts to rise and sometimes goes over 40.6C. It may last for two or three days.
When first rashes started to appear, temperature falls to normal. Tiny spots on the white or grey color starts to appear on mouth. They are also known as “Koplik’s spots”. Spots mostly disappear after one day. First red rashes start on ear’s back. After a few hours, red rashes cover all the head and goes to neck area. After a few hours red rashes have seen on neck, it became possible to see them on all body. After spreading to all body, red rashes start itching. Itching process must be carefully because it may left signs. Before disappearing red rashes started to turn dark brown. It’s the first sign that main measles period is finishing. Then all rashes disappear. Despite the rashes disappear, measles shows its effect for three or four days.
Measles mostly cause diarrhea. Diarrhea level must always be in control while patient is showing measles signs. Sometimes measles trigger illnesses like pneumonia, corneal ulceration and otitis media.
Today all children in developed countries are immunizing for measles. Doctors are waiting till 18 months of baby because baby has some antibodies from mother. Most popular method immunizing children from measles is a MMR vaccine. It’s a three part vaccine applying for rubella, mumps and measles. Today it’s possible to see that in developed countries, second dose of vaccine is applying between four to five years old. Vaccination program is also possible if a child caught measles in a shared area.
Today, in a standard healthy measles patient, there’s no need for treatment. They only need rest and some supportive treatment. But patient must be under control because illness may develop dangerous than standard. Doctors mostly offer medicine not for measles but complications like bronchitis and ear infections.
Death rate of measles is decreased by vaccines and other medicines. But it’s still possible to see death from measles. In 2010 numbers of deaths were 380. Today measles is one of the main problems in Africa. Some Asian countries are facing the measles problem.
Decrease of Measles patients and outbreaks made some low sensitivity for vaccination in the world after 90s. So in the first periods of 2000s, measles outbreaks started on the various countries from Canada to Japan. An 17-year-old child died in England because of Measles in May 2008 and 8 children died in 2010 on France.
