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In News
- Recently, Mumbai has seen a surge in measles cases.
- As per WHO data nearly 40 million children globally had missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021. As a result, there were an estimated nine million measles cases and 1, 28,000 deaths.
Why has Mumbai seen a surge in measles-related cases?
- Poverty, poor hygiene practices, poor quality of nutrition and lack of vaccination in children have all contributed to the spiralling cases.
- Some families didn’t immunise their children because of religious and cultural backgrounds.
Measles
- Viral Infection:
- Infection with the rubeola virus causes measles.
- The virus infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body.
- Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.
- Spread:
- Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases.
- It is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact or direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions.
- Symptoms:
- Some initial common signs include cough, cold, runny nose, sore throat, loss of appetite, high-grade fever and body aches.
- Vulnerable age group:
- Children below the age of five are the most vulnerable, especially those below the age of two.
- Prevention:
- Vaccination is considered the key strategy in limiting the spread of measles during outbreaks.
Measles & Rubella Initiative
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Source: TH
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