Measles
Brief description of the disease
Measles is an acute viral disease characterized by a high level of susceptibility and severe symptoms (temperature up to 40.5 degrees, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract, general intoxication of the body, the appearance of a rash on the body). The first mentions of this disease date back to ancient times, but a detailed description of the clinical symptoms of measles appeared only in the 17th century. In 1954, the infectious agent was isolated, and a live vaccine that is given to humans when vaccinated against measles was developed six years later, in 1960.
The source of infection is always a sick person. Measles is transmitted by airborne droplets, and unvaccinated people can become infected at any age, since specific immunity appears only after vaccination, or after a disease transferred naturally.
What Happens During Measles?
With the mucus of a sick person, which is released during coughing and sneezing, the pathogen enters the external environment. Note that measles, the symptoms of which are most often manifested in childhood, has a different degree of danger depending on the time elapsed after infection. It is generally accepted that people are most infectious from the last 2 days of the incubation period to the 4th day of illness, when rashes appear. On the 5th day of the rash, a person is no longer dangerous to others. Congenital children have colostral immunity, which is transmitted from the mother, if, of course, she had had measles earlier. This immunity is valid during the first three months of a child's life, after which he will still need vaccination. The measles vaccination is effective for 10 years, then the concentration of antibodies in the blood begins to gradually decrease.
The mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract serve as the gateway for measles, where the pathogen settles and begins to multiply intensively. After primary replication in epithelial cells, the measles virus enters the bloodstream and accumulates in various organs, causing small inflammatory infiltrates. In the initial stages, measles in children and adults can be neutralized with the introduction of immunoglobulin, which should be done no later than 5 days after contact with an infected person.
If preventive measures are delayed, then a second wave of pathogens spread throughout the body begins. This process is accompanied by the consolidation of the existing symptoms of measles and a rash on the body. By the 5th day after the onset of the rash, the maximum concentration of the virus in the blood drops sharply due to the beginning of the production of neutralizing antibodies. From that moment on, measles in adults and children poses practically no danger to others.
Measles symptoms
Measles symptoms appear after 9-11 days, after which patients appear:
- significant increase in body temperature;
- feeling overwhelmed;
- general malaise;
- decreased appetite;
- rough, barking cough;
- redness of the conjunctiva.
After a few days, measles patients develop rashes on the body. As a rule, the first symptoms of measles are observed on the cheek mucosa and resemble whitish spots that rise above the surface of the membrane. Then the rash spreads to the outer skin. At the same time, the general intoxication and the degree of damage to the upper respiratory tract increase. The elements of the rash are randomly located, prone to the formation of complex shapes and rapid spread. However, even in severe cases, patients have large areas of healthy skin.
The rash goes away in 3-4 days after formation. In its place, small age spots and pityriasis peeling remain. Throughout measles, some patients have abdominal pain, loose stools, pronounced conjunctivitis with separation of purulent contents.
Measles treatment
No specific treatment for measles is used. In the latent period, even before the first symptoms of measles appear, the patient can be helped by the administration of anti-measles immunoglobulin. If measles in children has developed to the stage of clinical manifestations, then the immunoglobulin will be ineffective.
In most cases, measles patients are treated at home. Hospitalization is indicated for patients with complicated forms of the disease and for children from closed groups. The basic principles of measles treatment include:
- compliance with bed rest;
- hygienic patient care;
- plentiful drinking (carbonated drinks are excluded);
- vitamin therapy;
- expectorant drugs, if there is a dry, obsessive cough;
- instillation of 20% sodium sulfacil solution in case of conjunctival complications.
The most reliable preventive measure is measles vaccination. It is contraindicated in pregnant women, HIV-infected women, patients with tuberculosis and leukemia. In all other cases, the vaccine is an excellent aid in the fight against measles. The first vaccination is given when the child is 1 year old, the second - at 15-18 months.
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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
