This document discusses measles, including its description, transmission, clinical features, complications, prevention, and treatment. Some key points: - Measles is an acute viral disease characterized by fever and rash that mainly affects children. It is highly contagious. - The measles virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets from infected individuals. The incubation period is around 10 days. - Clinical features include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a red rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. - Complications can include bronchitis, pneumonia, and encephalitis in some cases. The measles vaccine provides lifelong immunity.

1. Measles ‫الحصبة‬
Dr Paul T Francis, MD
Prof. Com Med, Zawiya
7th April Uni., Libya

2. Measles
 Is an acute disease characterized by fever and rash
 First described by Dr Abu Becr and called Hasbah
‫الحصبة‬
 Measles is a disease seen throughout the world
 Measles is a serious and common disease of
children
 Incidence of Measles in Libya is very low due to
almost complete coverage with Measles vaccine
 The mortality due to Measles occurs mostly in
children who are malnourished

3. Agent factors
 Agent - Measles virus
 Source of infection – mouth, nose and throat
secretions
 Period of infectivity – 4 days before and 5
days after the appearance of rash

4. Host factors
 Age – most cases occur between 6 months to
5 years
 Measles attack gives lifelong immunity
 Measles mortality is 400 times more in
malnourished children

5. Environmental factors
 More common in winter months

6. Measles
 Mode of transmission
 Droplet infection
 Incubation period
 10 days
 Disease divided into
 Pre-eruptive stage
 Eruptive stage

7. Clinical features
 Pre-eruptive stage
 3-4 days
 Fever, cough, running nose and redness of eyes
 Koplik’s spots – bluish-white spot on buccal
mucosal membrane

8. Clinical features
 Eruptive stage
 Typically appears on the 4th day
 Red colored maculo-papular rash
 Starts from the face and covers the whole body in
2-4 days
 By the 5th or 6th day the rash begins to disappear

9. Child with
Measles rash

10. Complications
 Bronchitis
 Bronchopneumonia
 Otitis media
 Encephalitis
 Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (after
some years)

11. Prevention
 Patients should be isolated(‫)عزل‬
 Measles vaccine – live attenuated
 In Libya Measles is given combined(‫)متكتل‬
with Mumps and Rubella (MMR=Mumps,
Measles and Rubella)
 Two doses are given
 First dose at 12 months
 Second dose at 18 months

12. Measles vaccine
 Measles vaccine is not given early(‫قبل‬ ‫)من‬
because the infants(‫)الرضيع‬ have maternal
antibodies they got through the
placenta(‫)المشيمة‬, which will make the vaccine
ineffective(‫مجد‬ ‫)غير‬.
 WHO is trying to eliminate Measles