Times of India
15 March 2011
Allahabad, India

There seems to be check on viral diseases in city. Hospitals are flooded with over dozen fresh cases of measles and chicken pox every day. Health experts, taking a serious note of prevailing situation have asked people to adopt precautions to save them. They have also issued some guidelines in the same regard. Senior medical officer community health Dr SAM Meesum said: "Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, which affects mostly children."

He said the first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts four to seven days. "A running nose, cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage. After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. After three days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet, he added."

There is no specific treatment for measles and most people recover within 2–3 weeks. However, particularly in malnourished children and people with reduced immunity, measles may even cause serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection and pneumonia. Measles can be prevented by immunisation, he said. Chicken pox is a common illness among kids.