Many adults with measles are hospitalized.

A 38-year-old man from Thanh Hoa, with a history of good health, experienced persistent fever, sore throat, and upper respiratory tract infection five days prior. Following the fever, he developed a rash on the back of his face that spread to his entire body, accompanied by intense itching. In the following days, he experienced abdominal pain and diarrhea 4-5 times a day. He was diagnosed with a rash at the provincial hospital, but treatment was ineffective, and his cough worsened, leading to his transfer to Bach Mai Hospital.

At the Center for Tropical Diseases, after examination, doctors discovered that the patient had a rash suspected to be measles, accompanied by upper respiratory tract inflammation. Examination of the throat revealed Koplik spots (white dots) on the mucous membrane of the right cheek, along with symptoms of red, irritated eyes and swollen eyelids. The patient was confirmed to have measles virus infection through testing. After 5 days of intensive treatment, the patient recovered and was discharged without complications.

A 37-year-old woman from Nam Dinh province experienced a fever at home for three days, accompanied by a red rash that started on her face and neck and spread to her entire body. She also had a sore throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and difficulty breathing. At the provincial hospital, she was diagnosed with measles/leukopenia, elevated liver enzymes, and pneumonia. After antibiotic treatment, her condition did not improve, and she was transferred to Bach Mai Hospital. There, after further testing, she was diagnosed with measles complicated by pneumonia. Currently, after three days of treatment, the patient is out of critical condition.

After developing a high fever, people with measles begin to develop a rash. (Illustrative image)

According to Associate Professor Dr. Do Duy Cuong, Director of the Center for Tropical Diseases at Bach Mai Hospital, measles is an acute and dangerous infectious disease transmitted through the respiratory tract, caused by viruses of the Paramyxoviridae family.

With the changing weather in Northern Vietnam, the center is receiving many adult patients hospitalized with measles. The measles virus is highly contagious through the air or droplets, and those most susceptible are unvaccinated children or adults with low levels of antibodies in their blood.

Measles in both adults and children can cause dangerous complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, keratitis, secondary infections leading to otitis media, enteritis, and other infections that significantly affect health and can even be life-threatening.

Many adults mistakenly believe that measles only affects children, and therefore do not seek medical attention or treatment. For pregnant women, measles negatively impacts the mother's health and can affect the fetus, especially during the first three months of pregnancy.

In August 2024, Ho Chi Minh City declared a measles outbreak, and in previous years, several localities had reported numerous cases of measles in the community. The Ministry of Health has issued guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of measles. Healthcare workers need to pay attention to the characteristics of measles to ensure timely testing, diagnosis, isolation, and treatment, avoiding missed cases and late detection, which could lead to community spread.

Measles, like several other infectious diseases such as diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, can be safely prevented through vaccination. The current measles vaccine for adults is the 3-in-1 MMR vaccine (measles-mumps-rubella), which helps prevent the disease and its complications. In addition, maintaining environmental and personal hygiene, improving overall health to boost immunity, and wearing a mask when in contact with sick individuals are also important.

Nhu Loan

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/nhieu-nguoi-lon-mac-soi-phai-nhap-vien-ar912842.html