Measles as earlier said is a viral infection, making it quite ckntagious as the virus is easily spread. The virus responsible for this killer disease comes from a family known as "paramyxovirus", I could bet that didn't read nice in your head. Measles has caused the death of thousands, most especially that of children as they tend to be more susceptible to it's virus. The fact is children or individuals who are poorly nourished or has a weak immune system tend to be easily get affected. Though it has affected children globally but it is more common in developing countries such as those in Africa and Asia. As earlier said, measles is highly contagious as it Is kinda Air-borne, as well as other means. When one is infected by measles, the virus responsible for it gets to reproduce or replicate in the nose and throat, so when such persons are to talk, cough, sneeze or do anything that would lead to the release of droplets from their nose or mouth, the virus is sure to be in the droplets, and if this is then inhaled by one who was once free from the disease, there is a 90% chance that the virus would manifest the measles disease in such a person, so you see how contagious it is, outside this, if the infested droplets were to hit a surface, the virus would still be there for a while, and if someone was to rub his hand against such surface and for any reason such a person had to ingest something with that hand without washing it, such a person could become infected too. Now you see why it is said to be highly contagious, as it is very easy for just a single sufferer to spread it to tens of others.
SYMPTOMS
Definitely when one gets the virus in, one does not instantly go down with the measles infection, but rather the initial virus would have to first find a suitable habitat in the human system and then replicate, after which some visible signs known as symptoms would then be observed in the infected person, these symptoms might take between 10 - 12 days to become visible, after which it becomes a different ball game entirely. Some of the symptoms observed to be associated with the measles infection includes;
High fever,inflamed eyes, dry cough,sore throat,catarrh, rashes starting from the face and then extending to other parts, white spots inside the mouth(these spots are called koptik's spot) e.t.c.
COMPLICATIONS
These are very dangerous and devastating effects measles could cause on it's victim if not watched after properly.some of these are outlined below;
- Blindness
- Less volume of water in the body i.e dehydration
- infection In the DA
- pneumonia
- Inflammation of the voice box i.e Larynx, a condition known as laryngitis
- Encephalitis (brain swelling)
- Diarrhea
- Leads to low birth weight of the baby or even death of the mother in the case of an infected pregnant woman
- Bronchitis
TREATMENT/PREVENTION
That which is nice about the situation is that there is a vaccine for it, which could help prevent one from ever being infected, there is vaccine for all categories, but babies must be at least 12 months old before they would be able to take the vaccine. comprehensive knowledge on the disease is one of the greatest ways to combating it, as one is informed about the "mechanism" of the infection, and so would know how to go about issues. But some preventive tips and treatment includes;
- Vaccination
- Enough rest to boost immune system
- Diet rich in vitamin A (retinol) supplement
- Observer proper hygiene of the hands
- Do not come in direct contact with those that suffer from measles
- it is advisable not to share with a sufferer of the infection one's personal items
Hope you were enlightened, always remember that at Healthvim, your health is our pride.
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