Measles - an Infectious Disease

Measles is an infectious disease that I chose to write about. Measles is still very common in many parts of the world. Measles is very contagious and is responsible for many deaths in young children. Measles is an infection that is caused by the measles virus. It is airborne so it is spread through things like coughing and sneezing. Symptoms are fever, cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes. Two or three days after the start of symptoms, small white spots may form inside the mouth. A red, flat rash which usually starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body typically begins three to five days after the start of symptoms. symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days.

Measles affects about 20 million people a year, primarily in the developing areas of Africa and Asia. There is a vaccine for this disease, but people who are not vaccinated can and will bring it home. causes the most vaccine-preventable deaths of any disease It resulted in about 73,000 deaths in 2014, down from 545,000 deaths in 1990. In 1980, the disease was estimated to have caused 2.6 million deaths per year. Most of those who are infected and who die are less than five years old. The risk of death among those infected is usually 0.2%, but may be up to 10% in those who have malnutrition. Before immunization in the United States, between three and four million cases occurred each year. As a result of widespread vaccination, the disease was eliminated from America in 2016. Measles has been around in the past and this is a global problem because it is super contagious. It is also very important to vaccinate.

http://measlesrubellainitiative.org/

https://www.cdc.gov/measles/travelers.html