It has been reported that South Africa is currently experiencing a surge of a measles cases.
Measles, also known as Rubeola, is caused by a virus and is a highly contagious disease that causes fever and rash.
Anyone who never had measles and has never been vaccinated, babies younger than 12-months-old, because they are too young to be vaccinated, or those who were vaccinated before 1968 are at risk for getting measles
Measles is more contagious than almost any other disease and is spread mainly by sneezing and coughing.
The virus lives in the nose and throat of infected people and can stay in the air for up to two hours.
People with measles can start spreading the virus four days before the rash appears and four days after the rash appeared, this is when measles is the most contagious.
At first, measles’ symptoms are very similar to that of a cold.
Cough, high fever, runny nose, and red, watery eyes are common and a few days later the rash will appear, starting on the face and then spreading to the rest of the body.
The possible complications of measles are:
- inflammation of the middle ear
- diarrhoea and vomiting
- bronchitis, croup or laryngitis
- pneumonia
- pregnancy problems such as miscarriage or premature labour
- encephalitis (brain inflammation) affects about one person with measles in every 1000.
According to https://www.healthline.com, measles is the leading cause of death in children.
Get yourself and your family vaccinated if you have not done so yet.
The Addie is busy obtaining more information from the Department of Health and will give you updated information soon.
Sources: https://healthvermont.gov/ and https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/
