What do you need to know about measles?

Thanks to timely vaccination and a high level of collective immunity, for more than 10 years, such a disease as measles in our region has been registered only as imported isolated cases. Before the advent of the vaccine, measles was called the childhood plague and the mortality rate from measles was up to 50%, and complications were noted up to 98%. But it is impossible to forget measles, taking into account migration processes and the accumulation of the unvaccinated population.

Measles is one of the most common and contagious childhood infections with periodic rises every 3-4 years. Literally everyone is susceptible to measles. If a person has not had measles and is not protected by vaccination, then even a short-term meeting with a patient can end up with the disease. In general, measles is considered a childhood infection, but today the disease has matured, and teenagers and young adults are already suffering from it.

The source of infection is a sick person. Infection occurs by airborne droplets: when talking, coughing, sneezing, the virus enters the air and is inhaled by a healthy person. But you can get sick not only after contact with the patient. The virus also spreads with the flow of air: into neighboring rooms, through corridors and stairwells to other apartments, from the lower floor to the upper, through the ventilation system of the house.

From the moment of infection to the onset of the disease, as a rule, it takes from 10 to 14 days, but there may be a period of up to 21 days. Measles begins acutely with an increase in temperature to 39 degrees, dry cough, runny nose, redness of the mucous membrane of the eyelids, lacrimation, photophobia. Small white spots are noted on the mucous membrane of the cheeks, in medicine they are called Filatov-Koplik spots. It is on this basis that it is possible to diagnose early and prevent the spread of infection. Three days later, a rash appears in the form of pink towering spots, followed by fusion. On the first day - a rash on the neck, behind the ears, on the face, upper back, on the second day it descends to the trunk and upper limbs, on the third day – to the lower limbs. Rashes are always accompanied by another rise in temperature. After the rash disappears, peeling and dark traces remain – pigmentation. By these signs, you can immediately suspect measles

Measles is dangerous with its complications. These are inflammation of the middle ear (otitis media), pneumonia (pneumonia), eye damage, up to blindness and inflammation of the brain and its membranes (encephalitis and meningoencephalitis). Modern medicine easily and quickly copes with otitis and pneumonia, but measles encephalitis, even with timely treatment, can lead to serious consequences – disability.

Adults who do not have vaccinations or vaccination immunity is reduced, especially those who have a disrupted vaccination process (there is one vaccination instead of two) they can also get measles.

Measles in adults is characterized by a more severe course compared to the classic course of the disease. Temperatures up to 40 degrees persist for 4-5 days, severe intoxication, more abundant rash and more often complications in the form of pneumonia, pleurisy, measles, meningitis.

Reliable protection against the disease is preventive vaccination. The first measles vaccination is given to children in a year. The second in 6 years. Within the framework of the National Vaccination Calendar, measles immunization is carried out for adults under the age of 35 (inclusive) who have not been ill, not vaccinated, or vaccinated once, as well as those who do not have information about measles vaccinations. People from the risk group are medical workers, workers of education, trade, utilities, vaccination is carried out until the age of 55.

In vaccinated patients who have lost their protective titer due to a violation of the vaccination process, erased, mild forms of the disease are possible without complications and without fatal outcomes.

Measles always finds victims. Having been vaccinated, you can avoid not only the severe consequences of the measles virus, but also never get sick with this unpleasant disease.  The main thing is to get vaccinated in a timely manner. Be healthy!

Chief freelance specialist in infectious diseases in children of the Health Department of the Lipetsk regionBelyaeva Tatiana Ivanovna