Measles

Vaccinations

About Measles

What is Measles?

Measles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus. Some symptoms of Measles include fever, runny nose, cough and rashes over the body.

How is Measles transmitted?

Measles spreads through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing. The virus can live on infected surfaces for up to 2 hours and spreads easily so that people who are not immune will probably get it when they come close to someone who is infectious.

Why should I take the Measles vaccination?

Complications such as ear infection, pneumonia and encephalitis may follow. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected with the Measles virus. It is thus highly recommended to have the vaccination taken. Patients can succumb to measles, pneumonia or encephalitis.

Points to Note:

Laboratory diagnostic tests are not perfect and are not 100% accurate

  • We do not have a test for every disease or virus but most of those pathogens that are of public health importance or have long term implications on your health can be tested
  • No one single test can be used with absolute certainty to diagnose a disease. Often, we depend on a combination of tests to make a diagnosis
  • Sometimes, we have to resort to trial treatment or empiric treatment if investigative tests are inconclusive. If the patient makes a therapeutic response and feels better, we have achieved our goal
  • In PUO, we are looking for treatable causes and to rule out sinister causes eg. malignancies so that we do not miss opportunities for early treatment or intervention

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