Measles
Measles Causes
Measles is caused by a virus, specifically the paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus and is spread through respiration- it is highly contagious.
Measles Definition
2Measles, which is also known as, Rubeola is a viral disease that has had a long history with medical accounts of it going as far back as 600 B.C. It was first clinically described in an Arabic book which significantly distinguished it from small pox. Measles is one of the great childhood killers, claiming the lives of more then 200 million children and adults in the last 150 years. The development of a vaccine has made the effectively checked the disease.
Measles Diagnosis
Diagnosis is normally done from a clinical analysis of the symptoms which are so definitive that adults who have been through the disease can immediately identify it. Reported contact with a person with measles also offers confirmation. Clinical tests include testing for antibodies.
Measles Symptoms and Signs
The typical symptoms of the disease include a fever that lasts for at least three days, along with coughing, a runny nose and and conjunctivitis. An examination of the mouth may reveal what are called Koplik's spots but these are temporary and may disappear within a day or two of appearing. Then the classic measles rash appears several days after the fever, starting from the the head before spreading other parts of the body and are often itchy. The color of the rash changes accordingly.
Measles Treatment
There is no specific treatment or any kind of antiviral therapy for uncomplicated measles and patients will normally recover with rest and supportive treatment for the duration of the disease. Complications however can happen like pneumonia and this presents an additional challenge in the treatment.