Measles has been diagnosed in southern Daraa province during the last few weeks, after absence for 11 years from the area.
Measles, a viral infectious disease, but it can cause severe complications, it affects children mainly, but it can infect adults as well, according to laboratory technician Marouf al-Turkmani, who confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl that the disease has spread in Daraa especially in the Western area, al-Hirak and Eastern area, as the number of cases reached to 40.
Al-Turkmani highlighted the role of the Early Warning and Response Network (EWARN) in diagnosing cases by cooperating with medical facilities in the mentioned areas which diagnosed and reported positive cases and took samples for laboratory diagnosis in the Epidemiology Laboratory in Jordan or the one established inside Syria.
Al-Turkmani mentioned that diagnosing measles is considered a warning sign and it should be tackled by education about symptoms and signs of the disease and the need for immunisation, added to perfuming survey to identify non-immune children.
The lab-technician explained that disruption in giving vaccination due to war conditions was the main reason behind the return of Measles.
He confirmed that medical facilities in the countryside of Daraa lack laboratory facilities to diagnose measles, as many cases attended the hospital of al-Hirak and the medical staff did not have enough experience in diagnosing measles clinically, and patients received symptomatic treatments, until the diagnosis was confirmed by laboratory tests, that delay could have increases the possibility for complication which could be fatal like pneumonia, middle ear infection.
The EWARN, part of the Assistance Coordination Unit of the National Coalition has detected many cases suspected to be Measles in different areas of Syria. In the countryside of Damascus, 150 cases were reported last March, 20 cases were recorded in al-Bab, 4 in Azaz, 12 cases in Idlib, 2 in Jisr al-Shoghour an 2 in Qunaitra.
measles is an endemic disease, it is continually present in a community, and many people develop resistance. However, if measles enters an area where the people have never been exposed, the result can be devastating.
Vaccination prevents many cases of measles around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that 2.6 million people who have not had the vaccine die of measles every year.
Measles is an infection caused by the rubeola virus, its symptoms start after 3 to 4 days from the initial infection, which always include fever and at least one of the three symptoms: cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis.
Other symptoms may appear like dry cough, photophobia, and fear of light, watery eyes, sneezing, reddish brown rash, and white-grayish spot in the mouth.
There is no specific treatment for Measles, if there are no complications, it is recommended to rest and taking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Symptoms usually go away within 7 to 10 days.
Measles vaccine is given to children at age between 12 and 15 months old, differ among countries, new born babies have immunity from their mothers
