Measles outbreak in Mumbai: here’s everything you need to know about the disease

Last month, three children, Hasnain, 5, Noorain, 3.5, and Fazal khan, 13 months, from Rafi Nagar, Govandi, died within 48 hours. Burihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now conducting door-to-door surveillance to identify suspected cases of the disease among children. Here’s everything you need to know about measles.

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What is measles?

An infectious disease called measles or ‘kasra’ is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects children. It is one of the leading causes of infant mortality and disability. There is no specific treatment for measles, but there are safe and cost-effective vaccines to protect against the disease.

“Measles is spread by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact, or direct contact with infected nasal and throat secretions. It is therefore essential to isolate these infected children,” he said. Executive Health Officer Dr. Mangalagomale said.

Deaths from measles are caused by disease-related complications such as blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhea, and pneumonia. Dr Gautam Bhansari, Consultant Physician at Bombay Hospital, said, “The condition of infected children becomes severe when they are undernourished, vitamin A deficient and immunocompromised.

How long can an infected patient spread measles?

According to reports, a child infected with measles can spread the virus to others for about eight days, beginning four days before the rash appears and ending when the rash is present for four days.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms appear about 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus. The main symptoms are fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat and rash. Dr. Gomare describes the symptoms as follows: The face of the rash occurs first. Within days it spreads to the rest of the body. “

Doctors warn parents to contact a doctor immediately if their child shows symptoms. Delayed detection of infection can worsen the child’s condition.

How important is it to get the measles vaccine?

Young children who have not been vaccinated against measles are at the highest risk of exposure to measles and its complications, including death. WHO recommends immunizing all children with the measles vaccine alone or with two doses of the measles-rubella (MR) or measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) combination. . In accordance with the guidance of the National Health Mission, in India measles vaccination is given at 9-12 months of age and a second dose at 16-24 months of age under the Universal Immunization Programme. will be split.

Dr Ajit Gajendragadkar, a pediatric consultant at PD Hinduja Hospital, said, “Unvaccinated children are at increased risk of contracting the disease, which in some cases can be fatal or lead to serious complications.” There is potential,” he said.

The reason behind the high hesitation to vaccinate in the slums Mumbai

Health workers expressed that vaccination in slums, especially Govandi, one of the surrounding areas and located near the Deonar dump site, is a difficult task due to hesitation and neglect of vaccines. Fatima Ahmed Khan, an ASHA official, said most of the slum population are migrants who report multiple births. According to information, the deceased Hasnain and Nurain are her eighth and her ninth child, while her mother Shernisha Khan is pregnant with her tenth child. “No matter how much I try to persuade them, they won’t let their children get vaccinated. Repeated pregnancies make the mother sick, and feeding more children takes priority over vaccination.” she said.

Apnalaya, an NGO that works closely with BMC in Gobandi, also spoke about the challenges in addressing community resistance to vaccination. “However, it is important to understand the reasons for this reluctance and the context of the living conditions in the region. said Praveen Singh, CEO of Apnalaya.