Measles Is A Contagious Virus Essay

Therefore, anyone entering the area has a high probability of contracting the virus through the respiratory system or even by touching a surface contaminated with the droplets and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes ("Transmission of Measles," 2015).  The risk factors are high for a Measles outbreak in a community in that an anti-vaccination movement has become popular among some parents who believe that vaccinations can be bad for their children.  Statistics show that most of the non-vaccinated children that become exposed to the virus will more than likely acquire the virus (Ross, 2015).

Measles was discovered in the 19th century by a Persian Doctor, but was not recognized until 1957 as an infectious agent in human blood by a Scottish physician. In 1912 measles became a notifiable disease and in the first decade that records were kept there was on average 6,000 deaths per year reported from the disease. (Center For Disease Control). There is no definite origination of measles but scientists believe that it dates back to the Roman Empire about the 11th and 12th century (NCBI, 2010). The first outbreak known in America was in 1657 in Boston,

Facts and figures available to study the epidemiological data for the outbreak of measles include gathering suspected and confirmed cases of this disease from the World Health Organization. This is done by gathering serum samples from all suspected cases to determine if a measles specific immunoglobulin antibody is detected. This particular disease lives in the nose and throat of the infected individual and is considered contagious for a period of four days before the rash appears and for a further four days after the sighting of the rash.

In early April 2013 a measles outbreak was discovered in North Carolina. By mid-May the outbreak had been identified in Stokes and Orange Counties via 23 active cases. Every case was linked back to a family that had spent 3 months in India and had not been vaccinated. By the 16th of April the state laboratory of Public Health was able to confirm the diagnosis, with the last known case being confirmed on May 7th. The investigation of this outbreak revealed 4 patients with a confirmed diagnosis that had received one of vaccination of the two part series. The other 19 cases had not ever been vaccinated.

Measles was at one time in the not too distant past, a killer of those that became infected. Measles has been around for centuries. The first published, written account of the disease was in the ninth century by a Persian doctor. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website on measles, it was not until 1757 that a Scottish physician, named Francis Home, proved that something infectious in the blood was causing the disease. By the early 1900’s, the United States began requiring every healthcare provider and laboratory to report all identified cases, with approximately 6,000 deaths being

The new trend of parents not having their children vaccinated for measles is causing harm to the child and contributing to future outbreaks of the disease.

Let 's say your child is sick and you do not understand why. The symptoms your child is showing are similar to that of the flu. You took your child to the hospital to find out that your child has the measles, a disease that is usually avoided with a vaccination. At the time you did not believe that your child needed to be vaccinated, but now that your child has contracted something that was preventable you regret your decision. The Measles vaccination has been in America since 1965 stated by the American Journal of Public Health. (Hendriks, Blume, 2013) Measles start off with flu like symptoms and it usually takes a few days for the physical part of the measles to appear. It does however disappear within two or three weeks after all the symptoms appear, but the possibility of having pneumonia or brain inflammation is high.

The primary goal of measles outbreak response is to reduce morbidity and mortality by providing appropriate case management and vaccinating children.

Areas with large percentages of unvaccinated are more likely to have outbreaks. In 2014 the U.S.experienced a record high 667 measles cases in 2014. The outbreak was contributed to an increased number in vaccine refusals. Large outbreaks can be triggered by a single person. In minnesota a single unvaccinated boy who visited Kenya caused a measles outbreak that infected over 21 people.

It is transmitted very easily through the air, when the person infected coughs or sneezes (Chang, 2015). Runny nose, fever, and the tell-tale rash are symptoms associated with this disease (Chang, 2015). Those particularly at risk include pregnant women, infants too young to have received immunization and those with a depressed immune system (Chang, 2015). Measles became a nationally recognized disease in 1912, with 6000 measles-related deaths in each year of that first decade (CDC, 2014). According to the CDC (2014) “In the decade before 1963 when a vaccine became available, nearly all children got measles by the time they were 15 years of age. It is estimated 3 to 4 million people in the United States were infected each year. Also each year an estimated 400 to 500 people died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 4,000 suffered encephalitis (swelling of the brain) from

Measles is a highly contagious disease, and it is an uncomfortable illness. It may be a short period of time to be affected, but some things can be permanent if left uncared for. There are many key characteristics of the illness, and the way it gets into the body is very simple, and works well.

A family with a young girl returns to the US from Kenya. They are Anti-Vaccine. The girl contracts measles, which spreads to her family members. measles has a fairly long incubation period, so no symptoms were immediately visible. The girl was sent to her day-care after returning with an unwelcome hitchhiker. The vaccine for measles is separated into two parts: the main injection at 15 months, and a second one at age 4-5 years. The daycare contained children who had gotten the initial injection, but not the booster, and they were susceptible to the strain of measles the girl contracted. 3 other kids contracted the disease, which then spread even further. These chains of events continued until 23 adults and children had contracted the deadly disease and 7 had died. One of the infected kids was misdiagnosed with the flu and given antibiotics. This worked out well because he was said to be better before his vacation to Disneyland. This was sadly not the case.

Yet, with the help of the vaccine, less than five percent of the population in 2000 contracted the measles which in 2000 measles were nearly eliminated (Soloway). Sadly, this was around the Wakefield’s paper was released, so fewer parents were willing to vaccinate their children with the MMR which protects against measles. So the immunity past generations built up against the measles In 2014, the United States saw the greatest number of recorded cases of measles since before 2000 (“Measles Cases and Outbreaks.”). Six hundred sixty-seven cases of measles took place in twenty-seven states. The majority of the people affected were unvaccinated causing them to not have an immunity built up for the measle (“Measles Cases and Outbreaks.”). Although the United States of America almost eliminated the measles, measles is still common in areas of other countries, including England (“Measles Cases and Outbreaks.”). So many travelers bring the virus from the countries back to the United States to spread. According to the Center for Disease Control, measles spreads quicker when a group of unvaccinated people comes in contact with the virus (“Measles Cases and Outbreaks.”) As of the thirtieth of March, the United States has seen thirty four cases of the measles in eleven states, including Kansas (“Measles Cases and Outbreaks.”). The recent outbreak of

Measles is a serious disease; it can lead to pneumonia, swelling of the brain, and death. America defeated measles fifteen years ago, but parents refusing to vaccinate their children are causing it to return.

These drops in the measles rates are primarily thanks to vaccination. While the measles we vaccinate against have declined, they haven’t disappeared. If we stop vaccinating for measles, measles can and will return, all it takes is one unvaccinated child. “Vaccines undergo rigorous safety testing prior to being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are continually monitored for