Measles, Mumps, Rubella Flashcards
MMR Vaccine
A vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella given to everybody in childhood which makes these acute diseases pretty much 100% preventable.
General Characteristics of MMR
all are single stranded RNA, enveloped, helical viruses
Cause acute infections and not chronic infections
These viruses are cleared from the body when symptoms are gone
Mumps
Transmission: coughing and saliva contact
Symptoms: Swelling of the parotid salivary glands (parotitis) and epithelial tissues and occasionally deafness, fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue
Treatment: MMR vaccine and MMRV vaccine which is LIVE ATTENUATED viruses
(first dose @ 9-15 mons; second @ 15m -6 yrs)
Extra Info: Mumps can lead to infertility in both men and women, more frequently in men. More likely to happen when infected as an adult
Measles
Transmission: spread by coughing and sneezing via close personal contact or direct contact with secretions
Who gets it: ONLY HUMANS
Structure: a bunch of helices, helix that’s just folded around like a telephone cord inside the viron
Symptoms: Appear 7-14 days after infection. Last 7-10 days. Person is contagious several days prior to rash
High fever (ca. 104° F)
Koplik’s spots in mouth - temporary
Flu-like symptoms: malaise, cough, loss of appetite RASH!!!!
Complications: Immunity is weakened. diarrhea, pneumonia - direct or bacterial eye infections - corneal scarring
death: 0.3% in US, 2-5% in developing countries
Mechanism of Measles
Macrophages are the first cells infected in airway.
These cells migrate to lymph nodes, where virus expands and spreads systemically.
T cells and dendritic cells are infected - immune damage, reach the spleen and liver and skin.
Epithelial cells in airways become infected and release virus for spread to new hosts.
The cases which occur in the US are the result of people arriving from other countries and then spreading it to those who are unvaccinated
Rubella - German Measles
Transmission: through aerosol - coughing etc.
Symptoms: usually mild, with flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes and a red rash (rubella means “little red” in Latin).
Complications: Can be serious for the child if mother is infected during pregnancy, resulting in miscarriage or congenital rubella syndrome, which can have developmental, hearing and eyesight defects - cataracts.
