Measles outbreaks are on the rise worldwide, with Vietnam reporting a staggering 130-fold increase in cases in 2024 compared to the previous year. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted vaccination programs, contributing to the resurgence of this highly contagious disease.
Measles can cause severe complications, such as pneumonia and swelling of the brain.In Vietnam, the health ministry reported a whopping 130-fold increase in measles cases in 2024 compared to the previous year.Most of the fatalities were in children or elderly people with underlying health conditions. According to data from the World Health Organization, Thailand had 7,507 cases in 2024, compared to just 38 in 2023.
Measles is a very nasty infection,' said Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, an associate professor at the ANU School of Medicine.The World Health Organization says one measles patient can infect nine out of 10 of their unvaccinated close contacts. It lingers in the environment for around two hours, and a person with measles remains contagious for more than a week, and symptoms may not appear until seven to 18 days after exposure.Measles causes a red, itchy rash.conjunctivitis (red and sore eyes)While the early symptoms are vague and could be mistaken for other illness, in about four days the tell-tale red spotty rash will emerge, starting at the head and neck before spreading to the rest of the body. While many people will feel unwell and then recover, measles can lead to complications, such as ear infections and pneumonia, especially in children and immunocompromised adults. Dr Senanayake said it can also cause severe diarrhoea that can lead to dehydration and death, particularly in the developing world, and also brain infection (encephalitis) in about one in 1,000 cases.) He said there's also a rare but fatal type of brain infection called SSPE, which can occur about seven years after a measles infection.What's behind the outbreaks?The COVID pandemic derailed other vaccination programs.Angela Webster, a professor of clinical epidemiology at the University of Sydney, said several countries had eliminated or almost eliminated measles before the COVID-19 pandemic came alon
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