Emergence of measles during the COVID-19 pandemic
Researchers say that emergence of measles will occur soon. While the world is still crippled by the COVID19 pandemic, researchers now say major measles outbreaks are expected to occur as early as 2021 due to repeated vaccine misses. Measles, a highly contagious disease, is caused by a virus that multiplies in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult.
The journal, published in The Lancet, called for urgent international action to prevent a potentially devastating measles outbreak in the years to come. Many children have not been immunized against measles this year, making future measles outbreaks inevitable. Mulholland said if 2020 is a peaceful year for measles, in part due to reduced displacement and national COVID19 control measures, the economic impacts will lead to more cases of malnutrition in children. Malnutrition exacerbates the course of measles, resulting in poorer outcomes and increased mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. "Children who die from measles are often malnourished, but acute measles leaves many living children malnourished," he said.
"Undernutrition, together with the immunodeficiency associated with measles, leads to slower mortality, while coexisting vitamin A deficiency can also lead to measles-associated blindness," he cautions newspaper.
The coming months will see more and more unvaccinated children at risk of emergence of measles, according to the researcher. Many of them live in poor and remote communities where health systems are less resilient and malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency are on the rise.
Professor Mulholland said the Covid19 pandemic has also had a profound effect on the control of vaccine-preventable diseases, with vaccination campaigns halted in the first months of 2020 and injection services Conventional strains are severely disrupted in many countries. WHO estimates that by the end of October 2020, delayed immunization campaigns in 26 countries had caused 94 million children to miss scheduled doses of measles vaccine. “All of these factors create an environment for a severe measles outbreak in 2021, with high mortality and severe consequences due to measles common decades ago,” Mulholland said. This is despite the fact that we have a very cost-effective way to prevent the disease through measles vaccination, 'he added.
"Without effort, it is now highly likely that we will see an increase in the emergence of measles and its serious, often fatal complications in the coming years," the authors note to People and groups at risk for complications from measles.
Measles can be affect in any age and can have serious complications. However, certain groups are more likely to have complications from measles: Children under 5 years of age Adults over 20 Pregnant women People with weakened immune systems, such as leukemia or measles infection HIV Medical icon Measles Prevention: Consult your healthcare provider about measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Common Complications: Ear infections affect about 1 in 10 children who develop measles. Diarrhea is reported by less than 1 in 10 people with measles. Serious complications seen in children and adults. Some people may have pneumonia (lung infection) and encephalitis (swelling of the brain). They may need to be hospitalized and possibly die. In the United States, about one-fifth of unvaccinated people are hospitalized with measles. Eencephalitis (swelling of the brain) is very common in children, which can lead to seizures and make them deaf or have a developmental disability. The Measles chapter of the epidemiology and prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases describes in more detail the complications of measles.
Subacute sclerotic encephalitis (PESS) is a very rare but fatal disease of the central nervous system caused by infection with the measles virus acquired earlier in life. PESS usually develops 7 to 10 years after a person has measles, even if the person appears to have completely recovered from the disease. Since the elimination of measles in 2000, PESS has rarely been reported in the United States. Among people who contracted measles during an outbreak in the United States between 1989 and 1991, an estimated 7 to 11 people in 100,000 were at risk for PESS. The risk of developing PESS may be higher for a person who got measles before they were 2 years old. To learn more, visit the icon on the outside of the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia of Subacute Encephalitis (SSPE).
What's behind the recent outbreaks?
According to the latest estimates, the number of measles cases more than doubled in 2018 compared to 2017. This year, the United States reports the highest number of cases in 25 years, while four countries in Europe - Albania, Czech Republic, Greece and the UK - lost their measles elimination status in 2018 after prolonged outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributed the measles outbreak in the United States in part to an increase in the number of unvaccinated travelers who came into contact with infected people abroad, contracted and return home while still infectious. And in crowded camps and settlements, diseases like measles can spread quickly.
