Measles
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Context
- Mumbai is currently witnessing an outbreak of measles.
Measles
- Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus.
- It mostly affects children. It is one of the leading causes of death and disability among young children.
Symptoms
- Initial symptoms typically include fever, cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes.Small white spots known as Koplik's spots may form inside the mouth two or three days after the start of symptoms.
- Common complications include diarrhea, middle ear infection, and pneumonia.
- Less commonly seizures, blindness, or inflammation of the brain may occur.
Transmission
- Measles is an airborne disease that spreads easily by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions.
Prevention
- The measles vaccine is effective at preventing the disease.
Treatment
- There is no specific treatment for measles but there is a vaccine to stay protected from the disease, which is both safe as well as cost effective.
- Treatment includes providing comfort measures to relieve symptoms, such as rest, and medications like antibiotics, fever reducers and Vitamin A.
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