[HEALTH TIPS] Measles in children; meaning, symptoms, prevention, treatments
Measles is a highly contagious virus-borne disease. Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, it remains a leading cause of death among young children worldwide.
More than 95% of measles deaths occur in low-income countries with inadequate health-care infrastructure.
Because the disease is so contagious, it often spreads as an epidemic with high mortality rates in places like refugee camps.
Severe measles is more likely in malnourished children, especially those who do not get enough vitamin A, live in crowded conditions, or have immune systems that have been weakened by HIV/AIDS or other diseases.
How is measles spread?
Measles is spread through contact with infected people’s nose and throat secretions, as well as airborne droplets released when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
People infected with measles can infect others for several days before and after symptoms appear. The disease spreads easily in places where infants and children gather, such as health centres and schools.
What are the symptoms and signs of measles?
A high fever, which begins 10 to 12 days after exposure to the measles virus and lasts several days, is the first sign of infection. The patient may experience a runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots (Koplik spots) inside their cheeks during this time.
A slightly raised rash appears seven to eighteen days after exposure, usually on the face and upper neck. The rash spreads to the body and then to the hands and feet over a three-day period. It lasts for five to six days before fading.
What are the complications of measles?
Unimmunized children under five years of age and, especially, infants are at the highest risk of contracting measles and suffering from its complications, which can include death.
Infected infants may become dehydrated as a result of severe diarrhoea.
Malnutrition, middle ear inflammation, pneumonia, and encephalitis can all occur in children (brain infection).
Measles is a leading cause of blindness in children in Africa and other endemic areas around the world.
Pneumonia is the most common cause of death associated with measles. The pneumonia may be caused by the measles virus itself or by a secondary bacterial infection.
What is the treatment for measles?
There is no specific antiviral treatment for measles. Antibiotics should be prescribed only for bacterial ear infections and pneumonia. General nutritional support and the treatment of dehydration with oral rehydration solution are important.
Children with measles should therefore be encouraged to eat and drink.
All children in developing countries diagnosed with measles should receive two doses of vitamin A supplement given 24 hours apart to help prevent eye damage and blindness.
Vitamin A supplementation reduces the number of deaths from measles by 50%.
How is measles prevented?
Measles is prevented through vaccination with a measles-containing vaccine (MCV). To prevent measles epidemics, high coverage with a two-dose schedule is required.