PIMS receives 320 child patients with measles in 3 months

Islamabad : Measles – a highly contagious respiratory infection is hitting child population in this region of the country as in last three months, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Children Hospital has provided treatment to as many as 320 child patients with the infection.

The PIMS children hospital had to keep 50 child patients with measles in isolation rooms for treatment however the infection did not claim any life so far. Most of the patients reached hospital with measles from the federal capital, Mansehra, Swabi and Gilgit.

All the child patients so far diagnosed with measles at PIMS children hospital were found to be unvaccinated against measles through the Expanded Programme on Immunisation and it is alarming that as many as 20 patients were suffering from complications of measles including severe pneumonia or meningitis, said Deputy Director at PIMS Dr. Waseem Ahmed Khawaja while talking to ‘The News’ on Monday.

He said at present, five children with measles are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Measles is a highly contagious infection of the respiratory system. It is caused by a virus. Its symptoms include severe coughing, sneezing, runny nose, high fever, watery red eyes and full-body rash. The measles virus reduces the immunity and children who have had measles – especially those who are undernourished – may die of pneumonia, diarrhoea and encephalitis later on.

It is worth mentioning here that the child population in this region of the country faced the longest epidemic of the infection in known history in the summer of 2012 that lasted till August 2013. During the spike, around 1200 patients were registered at the allied hospitals in Rawalpindi of which 15 died of the infection and its co-morbidities.

Dr. Khawaja said the child patients developing symptoms of measles should be taken to the nearest healthcare facility to avoid complications. “Many patients may recover from measles after seven to 10 days however sometimes it can lead to serious complications including pneumonia, infection of the membranes surrounding spinal cord and brain known as meningitis or infection of the brain itself that is encephalitis.”

Studies reveal that other common complications of measles include diarrhoea and vomiting that may lead to dehydration, middle ear infection, eye infection, inflammation of the voice box, infections of the airways and lungs and fits caused by a fever (febrile seizures).

Paediatricians say the onset of measles starts from runny nose, watering of eyes, mild cough and photophobia along with low-grade fever. On fourth day of illness, maculopapular rash appears on skin, first behind the ear then on face and the next day on chest and then on abdomen and legs. On eighth day of the illness or four days after appearance of the first rash, maculopapular rash becomes full blown, all over the body.

Dr. Khawaja said the characteristic feature of measles is that as the rash appears, the intensity of fever increases and fever remains high even up to 102 or 103 degree centigrade. The patient suffers intense cough and refuses feeding and develops respiratory distress leading to pneumonia and sometimes the patient develops encephalitis. All such patients need hospitalization, he said.

Measles may also lead to vitamin A deficiency leading to ulceration of cornea and in this situation, the chance of blindness in a patient may not be ruled out, he said.

To safeguard children from complications of measles and to avoid losses, there is a need to make public aware of various aspects of the infection, said Dr. Khawaja.

The best prevention against measles is administration of two doses of measles vaccine, one at the age of nine months and other at 15 months however children who have missed the routine measles vaccination can have it as catch-up activity at any time in life, he said.