Measles is a contagious disease. It does not occur in animals, and so it can only be passed on via human transmission or through the air. It is characterised by a high fever, which is usually one of the first symptoms, and gradually white spots begin to show on the skin, along with red rashes. It really affects the respiratory tract and if there are other complications along with measles, there are higher chances of death.
Measles has never reached the point of a global pandemic the way corona has, but it has acted like an epidemic in the past. The first vaccine for measles emerged in 1963. Way before vaccinations were made, measles was one of the most contagious viral diseases. Just before 1963, measles was emerging as an epidemic in multiple parts of the world, taking the global death toll to 2.6 million every year.
Although vaccination is available, measles is not to be taken lightly. It has caused a vast number of deaths globally. As stated by the World Health Organisation, these statistics belong to 2018, and the majority of the deaths were of children that weren't even five years old. Most of the people who are exposed to the threat of measles are children and pregnant women who haven't been vaccinated.
But deaths caused by measles consist of people belonging to different age groups. Developing countries are still the most exposed countries to measles, especially after an unforeseen natural disaster or a similar event occurs. Especially in such regions where healthcare services are not ideal and vaccinations aren't available, measles still has the potential to create epidemics.
The infographic below features statistics of the number of measle cases from 2016 to 2019. The age groups are divided into two groups respectively— those below fourteen and those above fourteen.
The infographic below features statistics of the number of measle cases from 2016 to 2019. The age groups are divided into two groups respectively— those below fourteen and those above fourteen.
