While the headline on this amused me, it contained some useful info that might be worth passing on, especially if...
While the headline on this amused me, it contained some useful info that might be worth passing on, especially if you've never seen someone with measles.
Suspect Measles and Act Fast!
Before use of the measles vaccine in the United States, measles caused death and disability. In the decade before the measles vaccination program began, an estimated 3-4 million people in the United States were infected each year, of whom 400-500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and another 4000 developed chronic disability from measles encephalitis.
... By 2000, owing to sustained high 2-dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage in children, measles was declared eliminated from this country. Elimination does not mean gone forever; it means that the disease is no longer transmitted year-round in the United States.
... clinical presentation of measles. The measles prodrome starts 3-4 days before the rash. The prodrome is characterized by a high fever that can run 105ยบ F or higher and by the "3 C's": cough, coryza (runny nose), and conjunctivitis. Towards the end of the prodrome, Koplik's spots may appear inside the cheeks. These are small, white spots, often on a reddened background. Following the prodrome, a maculopapular rash begins on the forehead and spreads downward to the feet, also affecting the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. The measles rash gradually recedes, fading first from the face and last from the thighs and feet.
The patient may recover completely or may suffer from complications that can be severe, including pneumonia and encephalitis. A complication that may present about 10 years after a case of acute measles is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). This is a very rare, but fatal, degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Measles in the United States can still result in death. Between 1987 and 2000, the case fatality rate across the United States was 3 deaths for every 1000 measles cases.
Suspect Measles and Act Fast!
Before use of the measles vaccine in the United States, measles caused death and disability. In the decade before the measles vaccination program began, an estimated 3-4 million people in the United States were infected each year, of whom 400-500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and another 4000 developed chronic disability from measles encephalitis.
... By 2000, owing to sustained high 2-dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage in children, measles was declared eliminated from this country. Elimination does not mean gone forever; it means that the disease is no longer transmitted year-round in the United States.
... clinical presentation of measles. The measles prodrome starts 3-4 days before the rash. The prodrome is characterized by a high fever that can run 105ยบ F or higher and by the "3 C's": cough, coryza (runny nose), and conjunctivitis. Towards the end of the prodrome, Koplik's spots may appear inside the cheeks. These are small, white spots, often on a reddened background. Following the prodrome, a maculopapular rash begins on the forehead and spreads downward to the feet, also affecting the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. The measles rash gradually recedes, fading first from the face and last from the thighs and feet.
The patient may recover completely or may suffer from complications that can be severe, including pneumonia and encephalitis. A complication that may present about 10 years after a case of acute measles is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). This is a very rare, but fatal, degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Measles in the United States can still result in death. Between 1987 and 2000, the case fatality rate across the United States was 3 deaths for every 1000 measles cases.
Comments
Post a Comment