This is an automatically translated article.
The article was expertly consulted by Doctor Head of Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine, Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital and Dr. Phan Dinh Thuy Tien - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - General Hospital Vinmec International Faculty Nha Trang.
Typhus and measles are two different diseases with similar initial symptoms. Therefore, we often confuse measles and rash, leading to misdiagnosis. The following article will guide you on how to distinguish the most accurate signs of typhus and measles.
Typhus is mostly caused by common viral infections, including respiratory viruses and are benign, not dangerous viruses. However, for measles, the disease is caused by a strain of morbillivirus virus, family Paramyxoviridae - an acute virus, which is dangerous and can cause serious complications if not treated properly and promptly.
1. Distinguish the signs of typhus and measles nodules
Measles develops through 4 stages. Specifically:
Incubation period: During a period of 10-12 days, the patient will have no symptoms, but on the 9-10 day, there will be signs of a mild fever. The onset stage: Happens in 4-5 days, this is a contagious period, with obvious symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, constant headache. Inflammatory conditions begin as inflammation in the eye, watery eyes, red conjunctiva, swollen eyelids; inflammation in the nose causing sneezing, runny nose, hoarse voice, cough with phlegm; Inflammation of the digestive tract causing diarrhea... Stage of measles rash: The measles rash begins behind the ears, spreads gradually to the cheeks, neck, down the chest, to the arms. In the next 24 hours, the measles rash spreads to the back, hips, and lower legs with a light pink condition, but then gradually reddens. Even the measles spots spread quickly, cover the body and start to cause itching for the patient, increasing body temperature causing heat and discomfort. Recovery phase: At the end of the above three stages, the measles spots gradually disappear and leave dark spots and marks on the skin. Measles is a benign disease, but if you don't know how to abstain and treat it properly, complications can be quite severe for patients, especially children with measles. At the stage of measles rash, we can easily distinguish measles and rash by:
Common typhus fever, when the fever is reduced, the patient will have less signs of a raised rash on the face, a bronze rash. series emerges, after diving will leave no trace.
The rash caused by measles is very specific, it will first appear behind the ear, then gradually spread downwards and when it heals, it will also lose the connection in the order it was raised, leaving marks and dark spots on the skin after disappear.
2. Dangerous complications of measles
Measles causes more serious complications than typhus. If typhus is mostly benign, the patient with proper care will return to a self-healing state after 5-7 days without any complications. Measles, if not cared for properly and carefully, will cause many dangerous complications later, especially for children infected. Specifically, possible complications are:
Pneumonia: The most common complication caused by measles. Middle ear infection. Laryngitis. Encephalitis: The rarest but most serious complication. Orange tuber code: Necrotizing stomatitis has a high mortality rate. Persistent enteritis.
3. What to do when children have measles?
Children are at high risk of measles. Parents should pay attention to bring the child to the nearest medical facility when the child has the following symptoms:
The child has a high fever continuously 39-40 degrees Celsius. Difficulty breathe, breathe. Tired, not eating, not playing, lethargic... Rash all over body but still fever. The most important thing to prevent a measles outbreak is prevention. Children need to be vaccinated against measles starting at 9 months and a second dose when they are 18 months old to help children have a resistance, the best measles prevention possible.
At Vinmec International General Hospital, vaccination service is provided with the single measles vaccine MVVAC 10 doses/5 ml provided by the Vietnam Center for Research and Production of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals; Measles vaccine combination MMR II & Diluent Inj 0.5ml provided by MSD (USA).
Parents will be advised to vaccinate against measles according to the time process according to the number of shots needed to create the child's resistance. In addition, parents can bring children with measles to the right treatment to best recover the child, avoid spreading and limit dangerous complications later.
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