Measles is a highly contagious viral airborne disease caused by a virus that spreads easily through the air and can lead to severe complications and death. The virus can affect any person but is most common in children, especially those below the age of five.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 136,000 people, mostly children, died of measles in 2022. In recent months, there has been a major outbreak of measles in several countries, including India, with multiple cases reported daily.
As per the provisional data reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) as of early February 2024, India stood fourth among the top countries with measles outbreaks. The country reported 12,301 cases between July–December 2023. The maximum number of cases in the said period was reported in Yemen (18,464), followed by Azerbaijan with 13,721 cases and Kazakhstan (13,195).
Country Number of cases
Yemen 18,464.
Azerbaijan 13,721.
Kazakhstan 13,195.
India 12,301.
Ethiopia 10,060.
Russian Federation 7,720.
Iraq 7,601.
Pakistan 7,027.
Kyrgyzstan 5,777.
Indonesia 3,205.
Why Measles cases are rising
One of the major reasons behind the increased risk of measles outbreaks is the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC said. As per the available data, more than 61 million doses of measles-containing vaccine were postponed or missed between 2020 and 2022 due to delays in supplementary immunisation activities related to COVID-19.
“The COVID-19 pandemic led to setbacks in surveillance and immunisation efforts. The suspension of immunisation services and declines in immunisation rates and surveillance across the globe left millions of children vulnerable to preventable diseases like measles," WHO states.
Last year, a report by the WHO and CDC stated that around 11 lakh children in India missed their first dose of the measles vaccine in 2022. The first COVID-19-positive case was reported in India in January 2020.
India logged as many as 40,967 cases of measles in 2022, the report highlighted.
Another reason behind the outbreak is that the measles virus belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family and is very well known for its rapid transmission, TOI reported.
A person infected with measles can potentially spread the virus to nine to 18 others, making the disease even more contagious than the coronavirus.
Symptoms
The usual symptoms of the disease begin around 10–14 days after exposure to the virus. One of its most visible symptoms is rashes on the body. Others are:
1. Running nose.
2. Cough.
3. Red and watery eyes.
4. Small white spots inside the cheeks.
The symptoms of the disease usually last five days before fading, while most of the deaths from the disease are from complications related to it.
During pregnancy, if a woman catches measles, it may result in the premature birth of her newborn with low weight.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Feb 28, 2024 12:06 PM IST
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