Measles

26-08-2023

11:35 AM

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1 min read
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Overview:

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recently decided to depute three high-level multi-disciplinary three-member teams to Ranchi, Ahmedabad and Malappuram (Kerala) to take stock of the upsurge in cases of Measles there.

About Measles:

  • Measles is a highly contagious viral disease.
  • Transmission: It is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons.
  • Symptoms: Initial symptoms include high fever, a runny nose and bloodshot eyes. Several days later, a rash develops, starting on the face and upper neck and gradually spreading downwards.
  • Health Impact: It can cause life-threatening complications including encephalitis (an infection that leads to swelling of the brain), severe diarrhoea and dehydration, pneumonia, ear infections and permanent vision loss.
  • Treatment: The disease is preventable through two doses of a safe and effective vaccine.
  • Criteria for Measles elimination:
    • Measles elimination is defined as the absence of endemic measles virus transmission in a region or other defined geographical area for more than 12 months.
    • Conversely, a country is no longer considered to be measles free if the virus returns and transmission is sustained continuously for more than a year.
  • Measles & Rubella Initiative (M&RI):
    • M&RI is a partnership formed in 2001 of the American Red Cross, CDC, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO)
    • It is committed to achieving the Global Vaccine Action Plan goal of measles and rubella elimination in at least five WHO regions by 2020.

 


Source : All India Radio