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Thursday, January 29, 2004
Measles: Deadly as ever
By Henrylito D. Tacio
Measles--with its deadly complications--is still very much with us. It has taken many lives, mostly children, as in the case of the measles outbreak in Barangay Kalanganan 1, a remote village in Cotabato City lastyear. Eight children have been reported to have died while fifteen others--aged 9 months to 10 years old--were afflicted.
Measles is still among the 10 leading causes of illnesses among children in the country. In 1997, the reported measles cases showed a threefold increase compared to 1996 and a fivefold increase compared to 1995. Most cases of measles are among children aged one to four years old and unvaccinated.
"Measles kills more children today than any other vaccine-preventable disease, mainly in developing countries," reports the "State of the World's Vaccines and Immunization" published by the World Health Organization, UN Children's Fund and World Bank.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection producing various symptoms and a characteristic rash.
Before vaccination became widely available, measles epidemics occurred every two or three years, particularly in preschool-aged and school-aged children, with small localized outbreaks during intervening years. A woman who has had measles or been vaccinated passes immunity--in the form of antibodies--to her child; this immunity lasts most of the first year of life. Thereafter, however, susceptibility to measles is high. A single attack of measles makes a person immune for life.
The symptoms of measles start about 7 to 14 days after infection. The rash begins in front of and below the ears and on the side of the neck as irregular, flat, red areas that soon become raised. The rash spreads within one to two days to the trunk, arms, and legs, as it begins to fade on the face.
At the peak of the illness, the child feels very sick, the rash is extensive, and the temperature may exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit. In three to five days, the temperature falls, the person begins to feel better, and any remaining rash quickly fades.
In healthy, well-nourished children, measles is rarely serious. However, complicating bacterial infections occur fairly often, and people with measles are especially susceptible to infection with streptococci bacteria.
Blood platelet levels may become so low that the child bruises and bleeds easily, but this happens rarely.
Measles causes ear infection in nearly one out of every 10 children who get it. As many as one out of 20 children with measles get pneumonia. Oftentimes, children die of pneumonia as in the case of the five children from the village of Lydia in La Paz, Agusan del Sur.
About one child in 1,000 who get measles will develop encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. It often starts with a high fever, convulsions, and coma, usually two days to three weeks after the rash appears. The illness may be brief, with recovery in about one week, or it may be prolonged, resulting in serious brain damage or death.
Measles vaccine is one of the routine immunizations of childhood. The vaccine is usually given in combination with mumps and rubella vaccines and is injected into muscle in the thigh or upper arm.
"After receiving the measles immunization, the child will normally experience a slight fever," says the Department of Health (DOH).
DOH says fever is a sign that the child's vaccine is working and is helping the body develop antibodies against measles. The best thing to do when to a child with a slight fever is to give him paracetamol every four hours and p plenty of water. Also, ensure that the child has enough rest and sleep.
(January 29, 2004 issue)
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