Number of measles cases on the rise, one death reported

Rawalpindi:The number of cases of measles – a highly contagious respiratory infection among children is continuously on the rise in this region of the country while the infection has already claimed at least one life in town so far.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Sunday has revealed that nearly 20 per cent of the total child patients visiting healthcare facilities in public or private sectors in town are with the complaints of measles and pneumonia. In a number of patients, measles leads to serious complications including pneumonia and infection of the membranes surrounding spinal cord and brain known as meningitis or infection of the brain itself that is encephalitis.

Currently 40 child patients with the complaints of measles pneumonia are undergoing treatment at Benazir Bhutto Hospital and most of these patients are in serious condition, said Dean of Paediatrics at Rawalpindi Medical University Dr. Rai Muhammad Asghar while talking to ‘The News’. He added the infection has already claimed one life at BBH.

He said the number of child patients reaching allied hospitals including BBH, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital with measles or its complications is one the rise. Almost all the child patients undergoing treatment at the allied hospitals with measles pneumonia are unfortunately unvaccinated against measles through the Expanded Program on Immunisation, he said.

Experts believe that the situation may get worse and the child population in this region of the country may face an outbreak of the infection if proper attention is not given to the problem. It is important that the number of cases of measles is registering a continuous upward trend in the Punjab province.

Studies reveal that many patients may recover from measles after seven to 10 days however sometimes it can lead to serious complications including pneumonia and encephalitis. Other common complications of measles include diarrhoea and vomiting that may lead to dehydration, middle ear infection, eye infection, inflammation of the voice box, infections of the airways and lungs and fits caused by a fever (febrile seizures).

Measles is a highly contagious infection of the respiratory system. It is caused by a virus. Its symptoms include severe coughing, sneezing, runny nose, high fever, watery red eyes and full-body rash. The measles virus reduces the immunity and children who have had measles – especially those who are undernourished – may die of pneumonia, diarrhoea and encephalitis later on. It is worth mentioning here that the child population in this region of the country faced the longest epidemic of the infection in known history in the summer of 2012 that lasted till August 2013. During the spike, around 1200 patients were registered at the allied hospitals of which 15 died of the infection and its comorbidities.

To a query, Professor Rai said the best prevention against measles is administration of two doses of measles vaccine, one at the age of nine months and the other at 15 months. Children who have missed the routine measles vaccination can be administered measles vaccine as catch-up activity at any time in life, he said.