In 2000, the United States had been declared free of measles!
- Since 2000, we have had several outbreaks, the highest being 667 infected individuals in the 2014 outbreak.
- WHY are we seeing these outbreaks?
- To answer that, we have to ask WHY we were able to eliminate measles in the first place?
- The answer lies in the highly effective measles vaccine and a strong vaccination program.
- Since 2000, vaccination rates have fallen.
- This allows an imported case of measles to cause an outbreak.
- For instance, a tourist with measles can pass along the Measles virus to unvaccinated and therefore, susceptible (vulnerable) people.
HOW does measles spread?
- The act of coughing, sneezing, talking, laughing and breathing allows the infected person to release
- moist droplets carrying live, infectious, Measles viruses.
- these droplets can survive in airspace for 2 hours (outside the patient’s body)
- moist droplets carrying live, infectious, Measles viruses.
- Non-immune individuals breathe in these infectious droplets and
- can in turn, become incubators of the Measles virus.
- ONE PATIENT can infect 90% of unvaccinated individuals who are around him/her.
What are the symptoms that should ALERT YOU to measles?
- fever, cough, runny nose & congestion, conjunctivitis and a high sensitivity to light (aka photophobia)
- We suspect measles when Koplik’s spots appear 2 days later.
- look like little grains of salt surrounded by a red zone
- appear on insides of cheeks, across from molars
- are a typical feature of measles
- appear on insides of cheeks, across from molars
- look like little grains of salt surrounded by a red zone
- Measles rash appears within 24 hours of the Koplik’s spots.
- The patient may also have high fever (104 F).
- The rash begins on the head or hairline and
- in 1 or 2 days, covers the entire body,
- including palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
- The rash begins as flat, red spots
- with small, raised bumps on the flat, red spots.
- These spots blend together as the rash spreads through the body.
- in 1 or 2 days, covers the entire body,
What is the worst that measles can do to a person?
- The illness can be more severe and prolonged in case of
- Vitamin A deficiency and
- malnutrition
- In developing countries, measles kills as many as 1 out of 4 infected patients.
- It is also the leading cause of blindness in Africa.
- Measles patients also develop a generalized suppression of the immune system, which can last up to three years, leaving them vulnerable to other deadly infections.
How do you treat measles?
- There are NO antibiotics or antivirals that will kill the Measles virus or help you recover quickly from measles.
- The best treatment includes
- reducing fever,
- hydrating well,
- resting and
- administering vitamin A to patients with low levels of this vitamin.
- Remember, measles suppresses the immune system!
- If there are secondary bacterial infections, these will have to be treated with antibiotics.
Why do we want to prevent measles?
- Pregnant women with measles may be at an increased risk of
- miscarriages,
- premature births or
- low birth weight babies.
- Approximately 30% of infected individuals develop one or more complications such as
- pneumonia,
- ear infections and
- diarrhea.
- One in every 1,000 children who develop measles will develop
- encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), which can lead to
- deafness or
- intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), which can lead to
- One or two in every 1,000 children with measles, will actually
- die from it.
- If death doesn’t claim an ill child, the child is at risk of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).
- a very rare, but fatal disease
- According to research done in the United Kingdom:
- 18 out of every 100,000 patients who are
- under 1 year of age when they get measles,
- will develop SSPE.
- under 1 year of age when they get measles,
- 1.1 out of every 100,000 patients
- older than 5 years of age when they get measles,
- will develop SSPE.
- older than 5 years of age when they get measles,
- 18 out of every 100,000 patients who are
- It may take anywhere from
- 1 month to 27 years AFTER measles
- for symptoms of SSPE to develop.
- 1 month to 27 years AFTER measles
- SSPE results in death 1 – 2 years after symptoms develop.
- There is no cure for it at the moment.
Is there any RECOURSE for someone who is vulnerable and has already been exposed?
- There are 2 options:
- measles vaccine given to immunocompetent individuals within 3 days of being exposed to measles
- this is not always easy,
- as patients are contagious 4 days before symptoms begin.
- this is not always easy,
- a shot of pre-made antibodies against the Measles virus, within 6 days of being exposed to measles
- measles vaccine given to immunocompetent individuals within 3 days of being exposed to measles
What is our best prevention approach?
- We need to build up our herd immunity,
- our collective community immunity and
- vaccination is the MOST EFFECTIVE way to achieve this.
- our collective community immunity and
- Another approach we can all take, and should take, is to
- cover our coughs and sneezes –
- the idea is to trap any potentially infectious droplets (dispelled by the cough and sneeze) and
- prevent them from infecting vulnerable individuals.
- the idea is to trap any potentially infectious droplets (dispelled by the cough and sneeze) and
- cover our coughs and sneezes –
- One last thing that can protect us against multiple infectious agents is to
- have clean hands.
- Saying No to infections is easy.
- It starts with awareness.
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