Communicable Disease: Measles and its Causes, Symptoms, and Mode of Transmission

Epidemiology paper: Measles
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Epidemiology paper: Measles
Describe the chosen communicable disease, including causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications, treatment, and the demographic of interest (mortality, morbidity, incidence, and prevalence). Is this a reportable disease? If so, provide details about reporting time, whom to report to, etc. The World Health Organization (WHO) categorizes measles among the top leading contagious illnesses affecting human beings. Leung et al. (2018) indicate that experts also refer to the condition as rubeola. Although the disease predominantly affects children, its effects extend to the adult population, suggesting that it can manifest in any person irrespective of age, considering an infection occurs. Trends of the disease occurrence in the United States indicate that the risks of infection increase with an outbreak, which explains why the reported statistics about its presence remain regionalized. Since contact is a significant mode of spreading the condition, healthcare professionals rank measles as a concerning communicable disease requiring urgent public health responses when it arises. Causes of Measles             The measles virus, paramyxovirus, belongs to the Morbillivirus genus, causes the disease. Leung et al. (2018) add that the virus belongs to the Paramyxoviridae and Mononegavirales family and order. This virus has a spherical structure with approximately 100 – 200 nm (Leung et al., 2018). The pleomorphic virus comprises a particular ribonucleic acid strand negatively polarized within the lipid capsule. The composition of the virus, which includes six proteins, explains the ease of the virus fusing with the host’s cells, leading to the high infection rates characterizing a measles outbreak. As a result, most individuals who contact an infected person end up displaying clinical symptoms. Symptoms of Measles Infection             Diverse individual characteristics influence the clinical manifestations of measles. Leung et al. (2018) state that once infected, the incubation period of measles can range from as few as seven days to as many as 21 days. The author indicates that the median duration before the onset of the symptoms is thirteen days. The disease symptoms fall into two categories depending on elements such as signs and time. The first phase is prodromal that spans about two to four days. Leung et al. (2018) report that this phase presents anorexia, fever, and malaise symptoms. It also incorporates the three prevalent C’s: cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis. Other routinely present ones include periorbital edema, photophobia, and myalgias. A few days, up to two before exanthem emerges, a patient’s buccal mucosa suffers from Koplik spots. They are bluish-white papules resembling rice or sand grains and can range from 1- 3 mm (Leung et al., 2018). Since they arise in approximately 60% - 70% of patients and last from 12 to 72 hours, these spots indicate the presence of measles.        &n...