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 …
Feb 22, 2024 · 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 are from complications related to the disease.
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.
Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals - World Health …
Routine measles vaccination for children, combined with mass immunization campaigns in countries with low routine coverage, are key public health strategies to reduce global measles deaths. The overwhelming majority (more than 95%) of measles deaths occur in countries with low per capita incomes and weak health infrastructures.
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.
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 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.
Global measles threat continues to grow as another year passes …
Nov 16, 2023 · Following years of declines in measles vaccination coverage, measles cases in 2022 have increased by 18%, and deaths have increased by 43% globally (compared to 2021). This takes the estimated number of measles cases to 9 million and deaths to 136 000 – mostly among children – according to a new report from the World Health Organization ...
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.