|
|
 |
|
News/Event Item
Defeating Measles
Jan 18, 2007
by Margaret Chan
Until recently, parents in large parts of Africa didn't count on a baby's future until it had survived measles.
That practice had a firm foundation in fact. Measles cases have become exceedingly rare in affluent countries, thanks to a good vaccine, but in Africa and other parts of the developing world, the disease remained a major killer of children.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known. It can sweep through an unvaccinated community like an evil wind, devastating young bodies already weakened by malnutrition and other infectious diseases. The characteristic rash and high fever can be followed by severe complications, including pneumonia, blindness and inflammation of the brain.
Copyright International Herald Tribune
For the Full Article, visit
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/18/opinion/edchan.php
category: News from Other Sources : General Health News
contributed by Olga Zhuykova on 21 January 2007
Global :
|
|
