Written By: Tavishi Dogra | Updated : January 19, 2023 11:53 AM IST
Measles is a highly contagious childhood infection caused by the measles (Rubeola) virus. Measles spread quickly by inhalation, saliva (kissing and sharing drinks and food), touching a contaminated surface, and skin-to-skin contact like hugging and handshaking. Dr Suresh Kumar Panuganti, Lead Consultant-Pediatric Critical Care and Pediatrics, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, shares that this infection can be severe and even fatal for small children. Complications of this infection can be severe, like severe vomiting, diarrhoea, ear infection, pneumonia (infection of the lungs) and infection of the brain (Encephalitis). The virus cannot be eradicated by treatment. Treatment includes:
Immunization is the key to the prevention of measles infection. MMR vaccine two doses are 97 per cent effective in preventing measles infection.
India set an ambitious target of eliminating Measles and rubella by December 2023. To achieve this target Roadmap for measles and rubella elimination was developed. India's districts are divided into low-risk, medium, and high-risk.
MR catch-up campaigns with one additional dose of vaccine to all children under five years of age are being done to control the outbreaks. Identifying children with fever and rash, early treatment and supportive care, and referring the children with complications to higher centres play a phenomenal role during epidemic outbreaks. However, simultaneous root cause analysis should be done to improve the quality of surveillance.
