
Measles - World Health Organization (WHO)
Nov 14, 2024 · Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death. Measles can affect anyone but is most common in children. Measles infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body.
Measles - World Health Organization (WHO)
Jul 24, 2020 · Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It remains an important cause of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. While vaccination has prevented an estimated 60 million deaths between 2000–2023, measles is still common in many developing countries, particularly in parts of Africa ...
What you need to know about measles - World Health …
Measles infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and a rash all over the body. Measles is a highly contagious and potentially serious disease. Most deaths from measles …
Measles and rubella - World Health Organization (WHO)
Nov 26, 2023 · Measles is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Initial symptoms, which usually appear 10–12 days after infection, include high fever, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth.
History of measles vaccination - World Health Organization (WHO)
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases humans have ever faced. An ancient disease, it was described as early as the 9th century by Persian physician and scholar Abū Bakr Muhammad Zakariyyā Rāzī (also known by the Europeanized name Rhazes).
Measles: fighting a global resurgence - World Health Organization …
Dec 6, 2019 · A global resurgence of measles, one of the world’s most contagious diseases, threatens the huge gains made in fighting the virus in recent years. Measles is preventable by vaccination, and between the years 2000 -2018, immunization against measles alone is estimated to have saved around 23 million lives.
Measles - World Health Organization (WHO)
Dec 5, 2019 · Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus. In 1980, before widespread vaccination, measles caused more than 2 million deaths each year. The disease remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.
Measles cases surge worldwide, infecting 10.3 million people in 2023
Nov 14, 2024 · Measles elimination is defined as the absence of endemic measles virus transmission in a region or other defined geographical area for more than 12 months. Conversely, a country is no longer considered to be measles free if the virus returns and transmission is sustained continuously for more than a year.
Measles - World Health Organization (WHO)
Measles is highly contagious, and an infected person will often transmit the virus to over 90% of unprotected close contacts. Following inhalation of virus-containing droplets, measles virus replicates in the cells of the nose and throat, and 5-7 days after exposure infection is spread through the blood to the skin, the eye, and the respiratory ...
Measles - South Africa - World Health Organization (WHO)
Mar 21, 2023 · Sporadic cases of measles were reported in South Africa throughout 2022. In epidemiological week 40 in 2022 (ending 8 October 2022) an outbreak was declared in Limpopo province. As of 16 March 2023, confirmed cases have been reported from all provinces; eight out of nine South African provinces have declared measles outbreaks1. No deaths associated with measles have been recorded. Most cases ...