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Measles (Rubeola) has increased its epidemic potential with the development of large city schools. Measles occurs naturally only in human beings. Usually after exposure, a child develops his first symptoms in 9-11 days. Malaise, high fever, and irritability are associated with inflammation of the eyes, tearing, a hacking cough, and nasal discharge. One to eight days later a rash develops, with small spots on the mucous membrane of the mouth and a red rash, at times slightly elevated, breaking out over the forehead, spreading downward over the face, neck, and trunk. Each spot (lesion) persists for about three days and disappears in the same order; total duration of the rash is about six days. Rarely complications of fluid retention or pneumonia develop; but most measles cases are self-limited, with a complete recovery conferring lifetime immunity. A vaccine is available to protect very young children, patients with tuberculosis, and others whose immune mechanisms are likely to be impaired.

Measles deaths decreased by more than half
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Carried by the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) this strain of virus caused in 1993 a serious outbreak of respiratory illness. Fever, muscular aching, and cough–all resembling flu symptoms–are followed by abrupt onset of severe respiratory distress. Patients had seemed otherwise healthy. Many (56%) of the victims died in initial outbreak, located in the southwestern
United States. Treatment was primarily supportive, with stabilization of serious cases in hospital intensive care.

To prevent Hantavirus exposure, avoid occupational or leisure activities that bring individuals into contact with infected rodents, their excreta or bites. This requires caution in harvesting field crops, sleeping in vacant cabins, cleaning barns, or living in dwellings with indoor rodent populations. Prevention is the best approach to cure.

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Although tropical diseases and food poisoning may cause sudden vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, viral infections are very commonly the cause of these symptoms. These are usually transmitted through stool-to-mouth contact. Personal hygiene, particularly hand washing eliminates the infectious cycle. Toddlers often bring intestinal viruses into a household. Insects, including flies and mosquitoes may act as carriers (vectors). Their incubation period lasts 2-5 days. Symptoms may be limited to the throat with soreness or tonsillar enlargement, but skin rash, and serious illness— hepatitis, viral meningitis, or pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium)— is also seen. Pleurodynia (pain in the pleura or coverings of the lungs) also occurs in these viral infections, as well as malaise, sore throat, anorexia, fever and severe muscle and abdominal pain. Cardiac disease brings symptoms of heart murmurs, electrocardiographic changes, and even heart failure. By far more common, though, is the illness we termviral gastroenteritis, also called “winter vomiting” or “intestinal flu”. This disease is highly contagious; many cases are often seen in one family. Onset usually occurs within 48 hours, and recovery is rapid. Less commonly, mild diarrhea may persist for several weeks. General measures for the treatment of any infection, including adequate fluid intake, rest, and hydrotherapy (hot packs) to relieve abdominal pain, constitute the general measures most effective in these selflimited conditions.

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All mammals are affected by this serious viral disease of the central nervous system. Usually, it is transmitted by accidental or traumatic inoculation with infected saliva. The bite of an animal may transfer this to humans. The urban type is propagated chiefly by unimmunized domestic dogs. Sylvatic rabies is propagated in skunks, foxes, raccoons, wolves, and bats. When the live rabies virus is introduced through an animal bite, there will be an early infection in 1-4 days, marked by fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, or cough. Later, encephalitis develops with excitation, confusion, hallucination, combativeness, muscle spasm, and seizures. The latter dysfunction of brain stem centers brings the traditional picture of foaming at the mouth, followed by frank paralysis, coma, and death. Unless artificial supportive measures are instituted, the survival is seldom longer than four days!
Approximately 30,000 persons in the United States and 1,000,000 in the world are treated preventively for rabies each year. The local wound should be generously scrubbed with soap, then flushed with water or alcohol.
Lacerations should not be sewed shut. Active immunization is then given with either nerve tissue derived vaccine (NTV) or duck embryo derived vaccine
(DEV). When the vaccine is given alone, fourteen daily doses are sufficient. When rabies vaccine is given with antirabies antiserum, twenty-one daily injections, followed by boosters, ten and twenty days after the initial series are required. The antirabies antiserum from human origin is best, to avoid serum sickness so common when equine (horse) serums are used. Until recently, rabies in a human being was regarded as 100% fatal. With the advent of specific vaccines, as well as intensive cardiorespiratory assistance, for the first time in history there is hope of survival in this dreaded disease.

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Poliomyelitis was a common acute viral infection; it occurs naturally only in human beings. Infection with the polio virus produces a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Its most severe form attacks part of the central nervous system. After an incubation period of 3 to 35 days, the poliovirus infection may assume one of four forms:

1) Inapparent infection.

2) Minor illness, such as a transient respiratory or gastrointestinal disturbance.

3) Nonparalytic Poliomyelitis, which usually produces temporary stiffness of the neck and other symptoms of spinal meningitis.

4) Paralytic poliomyelitis.

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