Thread by @MayoClinicINFD

Weekend Digest

Name the pathogen.

5 clues

Airborne precautions
Cough, coryza, conjunctivitis
Secondary bacterial pneumonia
Vitamin A deficiency
#VaccinesWork

2/
#Measles #morbillivirus
Single stranded RNA virus
#Paramyxoviridae

Humans are the only known natural hosts for the virus

Disease: measles

3/
#Measles

Prodrome:
Fever, malaise
Cough, #coryza, conjunctivitis
Enanthem: #Koplik spots

Exanthem: erythematous maculopapular blanching (#morbilliform) rash; cephalocaudal spread; generally spares palm and soles

4/
#Measles complications

Diarrhea is most common

Measles cause immunosuppression
Secondary bacterial pneumonia - common cause of death
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Staphylococcus aureus
Haemophilus influenza

5/
#Measles neurologic complication
Acute encephalitis: within days

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: ADEM post-infectious autoimmune demyelination: within weeks

SSPE subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: progressive fatal degenerative disease: years after natural infection

6/
#Measles

Vitamin A deficiency = high rates of post-measles complication

Vitamin A supplementation = lower morbidity and mortality from measles

nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NE…

7/
#Measles is highly contagious!
90% susceptible persons get infected after exposure

Person to person contact
Respiratory droplets - may remain airborne for 2hours
Airborne precautions

8/
#VaccinesWork against #measles

#Herd immunity must be maintained above 85-95%

Unvaccinated persons were >200x more likely to be infected compared to vaccinated persons!

doi.org/10.1086/344894

9/
#Measles #Outbreaks have occurred in communities and areas with low #vaccination rates

“Ensuring high rates of immunization in all communities is critical to sustaining measles elimination.” #VaccinesWork

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…