Osama O. Ibrahim
Measles Virus (MeV) Morbillivirus hominis belongs to Paramyxoviridae family. It is enveloped virus with single-stranded, negative-sense RNA. Measles virus infection is mostly seen in the winter and spring. The virus spread through direct contact with discharge from infected person nose, or throat. Symptoms are usually within 7 to 14 days from infection initiation, and include high fever, cough, runny nose (coryza), and red/ watery eyes. After 3 to 4 days from these initiated symptoms a tiny Koplik spots (white spots) appeared inside the mouth followed by rashes on the face that spread to cover all patient body causes patient temperature rise for more than 104-degree Fahrenheit (40°C). Common complications from measles are ear infections, and diarrhea that are usually occur for about 10 % of patients.
Measles illness can be serious for younger children, pregnant women, and people with weak immune response with symptoms like Pneumonia as second bacterial infection, and Encephalitis (serious infection of the brain) that need hospitalization or the patient could die. Some patients suffer from late longterm complications such as a rare, progressive neurological disease known by the name Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare and serious neurodegeneration disorder that could cause from mutated measles virus infection infect patient central nervous system. Measles disease was eliminated from United State in the year 2000, but due to unvaccinated tourists, and vaccination declines in United States, in the year 2025 measles illnesses is back. The comeback measles in United States caused the attention to this virus mechanism of infection, and symptoms in order to develop more efficient immunization and treatments.
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Virology: Current Research received 187 citations as per Google Scholar report
