Four hundred forty-one measles cases were reported from week 40 of 2022 until week 04 of 2023 due to the measles outbreak in South Africa. It is an active viral respiratory illness characterized by fever up to 40°C, cough, malaise, conjunctivitis, and coryza. Measles, also known as rubeola, is dangerous and can even be fatal for younger children.
Symptoms of measles typically appear roughly 10 to 14 days after contracting the virus. Common symptoms include:
A highly contagious virus, morbillivirus, causes this disease. It spreads by:
Airborne respiratory droplets will remain in the air for up to one hour allowing other people to breath them in. The time between infection and the onset of symptoms is referred to as the incubation period, since the incubation period for measles is more than one week, it’s possible to have contracted measles and not have any symptoms. Once infected, a person is contagious four days before developing a rash or four days after the rash starts.
There are a few risk factors for measles, which are:
Diagnosis of measles is important to prevent complications that can be fatal. A child suffering from measles can experience complications if they fail to get medical attention. They may experience:
Viral infections like measles cannot be treated with antibiotics, instead doctors typically treat the symptoms. Medication can be used to manage fever and sore throat. If your child has severe complications, they may be hospitalized and kept under observation. At home care can include:
Keeping your child away from people exposed to the virus and good hygiene practices are a few preventative measures used to try to prevent measles.