There's a measles outbreak in California, and it's already spreading in other states such as Illinois. Are you ready for it? How much do you know about it?
Measles is caused by a virus that belongs to Paramyxoviridae family. It is highly contagious, and a person can get it in many different ways including airborne. Droplets containing the virus can be inhaled or touched by somebody, and that person can therefore be at a very high risk of being infected.
Although it is already rare in the United States, thanks to vaccinations, it is responsible for more than 145,000 deaths around the world as of 2013, according to World Health Organization. This leads to around 400 deaths on a daily basis.
The virus has an incubation period that may last for more than a week. The first symptom of measles is high fever, and it may appear around the tenth day after exposure. The fever may last for at least 4 days. Then other flu-like symptoms appear, such as cough, colds, and watery and red eyes. Because these signs closely mimic those of the flu, measles is often misdiagnosed.
The most prominent and distinct symptom of measles is rashes, which can begin on the neck and face, then spread across the body.
Measles can lead to serious complications such as dehydration due to diarrhea. Some have reported blindness while others developed an infection that caused the brain to swell. It may also lead to deafness and in the most severe cases death. The risks are very high among children below 5 years old and those who are 20 years old and above. Those who already have their immune system compromised are also highly susceptible to these complications.
The disease doesn't have any specific treatment, but it can be prevented by having yourself and your children vaccinated.
