Measles
Measles
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), measles is an airborne disease that is spread through respiration (contact with fluids from an infected person’s nose and mouth, either directly or through aerosol transmission (coughing or sneezing), and is highly contagious. Measles is caused by the measles virus, a single-stranded, negative-sense, enveloped RNA virus of the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. The classic signs and symptoms of of measles include four-days fevers and the three Cs-cough, coryza (head cold), and conjunctivitis (red eyes)- along with fever and rashes. The fever may reach up up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees farenheit). Complications with measles are relatively common, ranging from mild and less serious complications such as diarrhea to more serious ones such as pneumonia ( either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia), otitis media acute encephalitis (and very rarely SSPE- subacute sclerosing panencephalitis), and corneal ulceration.
Measles is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or, less commonly by airborne spread. The most infectious stage of the disease is associated with sneezing and coughing. The incubation period is generally eight to 12 days from exposure to onset of symptoms. The appearance of the measles rash can take up to 14 days to appear. Measles is a significant health problem.
Once the virus has entered a healthy bod through either conjunctiva or the respiratory tract, it spreads quickly to the lymph node, it destroys the lymph node reducing leucocytes count and causing primary viraemia responsible for the viral spread to the rest of the respiratory system. Secondary viraemia is characterized by the spread of the virus to the skin tissue, bladder, kidney, and the viscera. Patients infected with measles are at risk of secondary bacterial infections. Patients whose immune system is compromised are at risk of sub -acute sclerosing panencephalitis, and
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), measles is an airborne disease that is spread through respiration (contact with fluids from an infected person’s nose and mouth, either directly or through aerosol transmission (coughing or sneezing), and is highly contagious. Measles is caused by the measles virus, a single-stranded, negative-sense, enveloped RNA virus of the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. The classic signs and symptoms of of measles include four-days fevers and the three Cs-cough, coryza (head cold), and conjunctivitis (red eyes)- along with fever and rashes. The fever may reach up up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees farenheit). Complications with measles are relatively common, ranging from mild and less serious complications such as diarrhea to more serious ones such as pneumonia ( either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia), otitis media acute encephalitis (and very rarely SSPE- subacute sclerosing panencephalitis), and corneal ulceration.
Measles is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or, less commonly by airborne spread. The most infectious stage of the disease is associated with sneezing and coughing. The incubation period is generally eight to 12 days from exposure to onset of symptoms. The appearance of the measles rash can take up to 14 days to appear. Measles is a significant health problem.
Once the virus has entered a healthy bod through either conjunctiva or the respiratory tract, it spreads quickly to the lymph node, it destroys the lymph node reducing leucocytes count and causing primary viraemia responsible for the viral spread to the rest of the respiratory system. Secondary viraemia is characterized by the spread of the virus to the skin tissue, bladder, kidney, and the viscera. Patients infected with measles are at risk of secondary bacterial infections. Patients whose immune system is compromised are at risk of sub -acute sclerosing panencephalitis, and