The capital city of Delhi has recently witnessed a severe upsurge in the cases and fatalities related to measles, an infectious viral disease. The primary reason for this outbreak is attributed to under-reporting of measles cases during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. During these challenging times, main focus and resources were primarily directed towards managing the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to weakened surveillance for measles and other diseases.
Understanding Measles: The Disease and Its Causes
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by an enveloped, ribonucleic acid virus of the genus Morbillivirus. Interestingly, it is a disease exclusive to humans, with no known occurrence in animals. The virus primarily infects the respiratory tract, before spreading throughout the body. An infected person has a high likelihood of transmitting the virus, with over 90% of unprotected close contacts often getting infected.
Prevention and Treatment Measures
Despite being highly contagious, measles can be entirely prevented through a two-dose vaccine. This effective preventive measure has led many advanced healthcare systems to officially eliminate the disease. However, there exists no specific antiviral treatment for measles virus. It is essential to ensure good nutrition, adequate fluid intake, and treatment of dehydration to prevent severe complications from measles. Additionally, routine measles vaccinations for children, alongside mass immunization campaigns in countries with high case and death rates, have emerged as key strategies to reduce global measles deaths.
Measles Scenario in India
India’s battle against measles has been commendable, marked by a significant reduction in measles cases by 62%, from 10.4 to 4 cases per million population, between 2017 and 2021.
Efforts to Combat Measles
Several significant initiatives have been undertaken to eradicate measles. A prominent global partnership, the Measles & Rubella Initiative, was launched in 2001 with the aim of preventing child deaths from measles and birth of children with congenital rubella syndrome.
Measles-Rubella (MR) Vaccination: A Key Initiative
The Measles-Rubella (MR) Vaccination initiative targets around 41 crore children across India. This includes all children aged between 9 months and less than 15 years. They are given a single shot of MR vaccination irrespective of their previous measles/rubella vaccination or disease status.
Other Significant Initiatives
Other vital measures include the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), Mission Indradhanush, and Intensified Mission Indradhanush. These initiatives further demonstrate India’s commitment towards eradicating this infectious disease.
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
An example question from a previous UPSC examination is given as follows:
Q1. Consider the following statements:
Adenoviruses have single-stranded DNA genomes whereas retroviruses have double-stranded DNA genomes.
Common cold is sometimes caused by an adenovirus whereas AIDS is caused by a retrovirus.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: (b)