Measles - Measles (English spelling)

Japanese: はしか（麻疹） - はしか（ましん）（英語表記）Measles

What is the disease?

cough ( cough ) It is an acute viral disease of childhood characterized by symptoms such as fever, high fever, and a rash. It is highly contagious, severely attacks the body's immune system, and often leads to serious complications. It is one of the most severe acute diseases in children these days.

What is the cause?

The measles virus is responsible, and it can be transmitted through the air, even if you are far away from a child with measles.

How symptoms manifest

The incubation period is 10 to 12 days, and the onset of symptoms is fever and catarrhal symptoms (cough, runny nose, excessive tearing). Figure 46 shows the clinical course, which is divided into three stages: the catarrhal stage (prodromal stage), the rash stage, and the convalescent stage.

The catarrhal stage lasts for 2-3 days, during which there is strong viremia (a large amount of measles virus in the blood), and the virus spreads throughout the body during this period. Symptoms include fever, sneezing, runny nose, coughing, Tears ( Dragon ) ( Jun ( Uru ) Eye discharge, Photophobia ( Anniversary ) (Light sensitivity) and other symptoms. cheek ( today ) Small white spots (white mucosal rash surrounded by red inflammation) appear on the mucous membrane facing the molars. Pediatricians can diagnose measles before the measles rash appears by looking at these spots, called Koplik spots.

The rash stage lasts for 3-4 days and is a period of skin infection and inflammation caused by the virus. At the end of the catarrhal stage, the fever temporarily subsides and then begins to rise again, at which point the rash appears (Figure 47). The rash begins behind the ears and spreads to the face, trunk, and limbs. During this stage, the high fever continues and the cough becomes even more severe.

The fever will continue for about a week, then the patient will enter a convalescent phase. The rash will fade in the order in which it appeared, leaving brown pigmentation.

Many of the abnormal progressions and complications of measles are serious, including internal measles (no rash appears, and lesions are only inside the body), hemorrhagic measles, encephalitis, etc. Common complications include otitis media, pneumonia, and laryngitis.

Testing and diagnosis

The peripheral white blood cell count is significantly decreased. Measles is not difficult to diagnose without testing. Contact with a measles patient 10-12 days prior, watery eyes, and a strong cough are also indicators. Pediatricians will diagnose the condition by checking for Koplik spots before the rash appears.

To distinguish between rubella, exanthema subitum, scarlet fever ( Heat ) , Drug rash ( Medicine ) , Erythema multiforme ( Takeuchi Shinshuu Kouhan ) , Kawasaki disease, Sepsis ( Dismissal ) There are many types of fever rash diseases, such as:

Treatment and prevention methods

There is no specific cure for the measles virus. If your child develops the disease, you should of course see a pediatrician, but rest, fluid and nutrition, fever reducers, Cough suppressants ( Chingyang ) Symptomatic treatment is the main focus. If bacterial infection occurs, antibiotics will be used. Vitamin A supplementation may be required.

If you have been in contact with a measles patient within 6 days Gamma ( gamma ) Measles can be prevented or made milder by injecting globulin. The most important thing is to get the measles vaccine as soon as your child turns one birthday.

Currently, the measles vaccine is administered as a combined measles-rubella (MR) vaccine, which is administered twice in total, at the first stage (for children aged 1 year) and the second stage (for children in the year before entering elementary school). This is because immunity does not last long after a single vaccination, so the second vaccination is administered to strengthen immunity and prevent contracting measles or rubella in adulthood.

From April 1, 2008, for a period of five years, the target population for measles and rubella vaccinations will be expanded to include the third series (age equivalent to first-year junior high school students) and the fourth series (age equivalent to third-year high school students). This means that children who missed the opportunity and only received one vaccination will be able to receive a second vaccination.

Measles is a highly contagious and serious disease with many severe complications, so it is important to receive the measles vaccine.

What to do if you notice an illness

You should immediately take your child to a pediatrician. The fever will last for about a week. This is a particularly debilitating illness, so be careful to avoid dehydration and other complications. Your child cannot attend school or daycare until three days have passed since the fever subsided.

Kizo Asano

Figure 46. Clinical course of measles
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Figure 46. Clinical course of measles

Figure 47. Measles rash and wasted facial appearance
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Figure 47. Measles rash and wasted facial appearance

Source: Houken “Sixth Edition Family Medicine Encyclopedia” Information about the Sixth Edition Family Medicine Encyclopedia

Japanese:

どんな病気か

　咳(せき)、高熱、発疹を特徴とする小児期の急性ウイルス性疾患です。伝染力が強く、体の免疫が強く侵され、重い合併症も多い病気です。最近の小児の急性疾患では重症度の最も高い疾患のひとつです。

原因は何か

　麻疹ウイルスが原因で、麻疹患児から離れたところにいても、うつってしまいます（空気感染）。

症状の現れ方

　潜伏期は10～12日で、発熱、カタル症状（咳、鼻みず、涙がたくさん出る）で発症します。図46に臨床経過を示しますが、病期をカタル期（前駆期）、発疹期、回復期の3期に分けます。

　カタル期は2～3日で、強いウイルス血症（血液中に麻疹ウイルスがたくさんいる）があり、ウイルスはこの時期に全身に広がります。発熱、くしゃみ、鼻汁、咳、流涙(りゅうるい)（潤(うる)んだ目）、目やに、羞明(しゅうめい)（光がまぶしい）などの症状があります。この時期の後半には、頬(きょう)粘膜の臼歯に面する部位に小さな白斑（白い粘膜疹で、まわりが炎症のため赤くなっている）が現れます。小児科医はこのコプリック斑と呼ばれるものを見て、麻疹の発疹が出る前に麻疹の診断をします。