Measles: look for the source of infection of the two babies who have had it

Two babies under one year old have increased from three to five the number of measles cases recorded so far this year in the country. While carrying out the research tasks to determine how they contracted the virus, the Ministry of Health of the Nation issued an alert calling to verify the vaccination status of the population and to intensify the epidemiological surveillance . Suspicious images to prevent reintroduction of the disease, in the context of a global context with thousands of cases, outbreaks and active deaths.

Up to now, what is known is that both – the man from Monserrat, federal capital; and the daughter of Glew, province of Buenos Aires- shared the waiting room of Pedro Elizalde Children's Hospital. "Therefore, the people of Elizalde conduct an exhaustive epidemiological investigation to try to determine the source from which they drew it. To be calm and safe, find this source is fundamental because it makes a big difference Ms. Angela Gentile, President of the National Commission for the Elimination of Measles and Rubella in Argentina and Head of Epidemiology at the Hospital for Ricardo Gutiérrez children.

In addition to the investigation to find the source of the infection, the health authorities ordered follow-up and the blocking vaccine to the contacts of the boys. [19659002] Gentile confirmed that happily the clinical evolution of two babies is good but has drawn attention that in children under one year the disease can become complicated and cause pneumonia, pneumonia, encephalitis halite

The symptoms and the evolution of measles.

Measles is a preventable disease by vaccination. The two five- and six-month-old children who began to show symptoms last week were not vaccinated because the first dose is only one year after birth. Depends on the collective or collective immunity to be protected : the greater the proportion of people vaccinated within the population, the less likely it is that a person likely to enter contact with an infected individual. This "shield" failed in March, with the case of the 8-month-old baby infected during a consultation in Buenos Aires with a 21-year-old unvaccinated man who had contracted the virus during a trip to Thailand, according to the survey.

The three babies, the young man and a 26 year old girl who presented the disease on his return from a trip through Southeast Asia are up to now the five cases confirmed in the country and raising the concern for the possible reintroduction of measles in the country that does not record endemic cases 18 years ago (to be considered endemic, the virus must circulate prolonged for 12 months). Since 2000, only 32 imported and import-related cases have been recorded, so that the Ministry's alert puts special emphasis on the "global epidemiological context".

The report details that in America, they were registered this year 1951 cases imported or related to importation. In the region, the most complicated situation is experienced by Venezuela, with an epidemic in progress since last year; while in Brazil there are already nearly 700 cases . In Europe, nearly 15,000 were recorded between January and May. In Russia, from which hundreds of thousands of tourists who went to the World Cup have just returned to their respective countries, more than 1,000 cases were reported during this period.

" Globalization in general makes the risk high and permanent The World Cup was a riskier situation, because it was a mbad event, many people from all over in the world in one place.And the winter holidays too.This is why we must always be vigilant, the outbreaks in the countries of the region are very important.What worries us a lot, that is 39 is that we have a cohort of sensitive subjects and new cases may appear "warned Carla Vizzotti, president of the Argentine Society of Vaccinology and Epidemiology (SAVE)

. 2014 the last national surveillance campaign of vaccination against measles and conbad rubella, in which a compulsory additional dose of triple viral is applied to children from 1 to 4 years regardless of what they touch by schedule, to reduce the number of susceptible individuals (ie those who have not been vaccinated or who have not responded to the vaccine). The next campaign was to take place between September and October, but was postponed to the months of October. and November to ensure the supply of supplies.

"The higher the risk, the higher the risk of hatching" warned Vizzotti, who nevertheless specified that the notification of these two evo cases do not modify the health recommendations. The important thing, he says, is that the whole population (not just children) checks their vaccination certificates: children aged 12 months to 4 years must accredit a dose of vaccine and those over the age of 5 must years; while people born before 1965 do not need to be vaccinated because they are considered immune. In addition, the doctor should be consulted immediately in case of fever and eruption

Keys

How is it transmitted?

By air and spreads easily when the infected person removes respiratory secretions when she talks, coughs or sneezes or is in contact with a contaminated object The virus can live up to 2 hours on surfaces contaminated.

What are the symptoms?

They usually appear between 8 and 12 days after infection and are: high fever; nasal discharge, conjunctivitis and coughing; small white spots on the inside of the cheek; rash on the face and neck that spreads to the rest of the body.

Complications

May be due to the same virus or bacterial superinfection and include: severe diarrhea, ear infections, laryngotracheobronchitis (croup), pneumonia, meningoencephalitis, convulsions, and sometimes death.

Post-infectious sequelae can also occur such as blindness (due to vitamin A deficiency), subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), which is a severe chronic degenerative neurological disorder. fatal infection (1 case per 100,000 cases of measles).