Two kids misplaced their lives to measles and 17 others had been identified with the contagious viral an infection in Madhya Pradesh’s Maihar ringing alarm bells amongst well being authorities within the district for holding the unfold. Measles might be successfully prevented with vaccine amongst kids, however many missed their doses in pandemic years. As per World Health Organization (WHO), within the yr 2022, an estimated 11 lakh kids missed their first dose of the measles vaccine in India, inserting the nation among the many ten nations with the best measles vaccination hole, even post-pandemic. To stop its unfold and future outbreaks, consciousness about its signs, applicable supportive care and selling vaccination are important steps. (Also learn | Measles: A deadly disease that can be prevented)

In latest months, Madhya Pradesh has been grappling with a regarding outbreak of measles, a extremely contagious viral an infection.

Dr Neha Rastogi, Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Fortis Hospital, Gurgaon in an interview with HT Digital shares signs, therapy choices, and preventive measures to fight the unfold of this illness.

Symptoms of Measles

Measles sometimes begins with signs resembling these of a typical chilly, together with fever, runny nose, cough, and purple, watery eyes. However, the attribute signal of measles is the event of a purple, blotchy rash that begins on the face after which spreads to the remainder of the physique. This rash often seems a number of days after the preliminary signs and may persist for as much as every week.

Other signs might embrace:

• Fatigue
• Loss of urge for food
• Muscle aches
• Sore throat

Treatment

Currently, there is no such thing as a particular antiviral therapy for measles. However, supportive care might help alleviate signs and forestall problems. Treatment might embrace:

1. Bed relaxation: Resting helps the physique struggle the an infection and get better extra rapidly.

2. Hydration: Drinking loads of fluids, akin to water, juice, or electrolyte options, helps stop dehydration, particularly if there's fever or diarrhoea.

3. Fever reducers: Over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen or ibuprofen might help scale back fever and alleviate discomfort. Aspirin ought to be averted in kids because of the danger of Reye's syndrome.

4. Vitamin A: In areas the place vitamin A deficiency is widespread, supplementation with vitamin A has been proven to scale back the severity and danger of problems from measles.

5. Isolation: Infected people ought to be remoted to forestall the unfold of the virus to others, particularly those that are unvaccinated or immunocompromised.

Prevention

"Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is typically administered in two doses, with the first dose given at 12-15 months of age and the second dose at 4-6 years of age. Maintaining high vaccination coverage within the community helps protect vulnerable individuals and prevent outbreaks," says Dr Rastogi.