Measles, also known as rubeola, is a disease caused by a virus of the genus Morbillivirus.
Reports of measles go back to at least 600 BCE, however, the first scientific description of the disease and its distinction from smallpox is attributed to the Persian physician Ibn Razi (Rhazes) 860-932 who published a book entitled "Smallpox and Measles" (in Arabic: Kitab fi al-jadari wa-al-hasbah). In 1954, the virus causing the disease was isolated, and licensed vaccines to prevent the disease became available in 1963.
Measles is spread through respiration (contact with fluids from an infected person\'s nose and mouth, either directly or through aerosol transmission), and is highly contagious—90% of people without immunity sharing a house with an infected person will catch it. Airborne precautions should be taken for all suspected cases of measles.
The incubation period usually lasts for 10-12 days (during which there are no symptoms).
Infected people remain contagious from the appearance of the first symptoms until 3-5 days after the rash appears
'; break; case 'polio': div_copy = 'Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is a viral paralytic disease. The causative agent, a virus called poliovirus (PV), enters the body orally, infecting the intestinal wall. It may proceed to the blood stream and into the central nervous system causing muscle weakness and often paralysis. An ancient disease, it was first recognized as a medical entity by Jakob Heine in 1840. Eradication efforts led by the World Health Organization and The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International have reduced the number of annual diagnosed cases from the hundreds of thousands to around a thousand.
'; break; case 'pertussis': div_copy = 'Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious disease that is one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable deaths. There are 30–50 million cases per year, and about 300,000 deaths per year (World Health Organization data). Most deaths occur in children under one year of age. Ninety percent of all cases occur in developing countries.
'; break; case 'diphtheria': div_copy = 'Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore throat, low-grade fever, and an adherent membrane (a pseudomembrane) on the tonsil(s), pharynx, and/or nose. A milder form of diphtheria can be limited to the skin. It is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, an aerobic Gram-positive bacterium.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease spread by direct physical contact or breathing the secretions of those infected. Diphtheria was once quite common, but has now largely been eradicated in developed nations. In the United States for instance, there have been fewer than 5 cases a year reported since 1980, as the DPT (Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis) vaccine is given to all school children. Boosters of the vaccine are recommended for adults because the benefits of the vaccine decrease with age; they are particularly recommended for those travelling to areas where the disease has not been eradicated yet.
'; break; case 'tetanus': div_copy = 'Tetanus is a serious and often fatal disease caused by the neurotoxin tetanospasmin which is produced by the Gram-positive, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani. Infection usually originates from a contaminated wound, often a cut or deep puncture wound. Common symptoms are muscle spasms in the jaw (hence the common name lockjaw), followed by difficulty swallowing and general muscle stiffness in other parts of the body. Infection can be prevented by proper immunization, as well as by post-exposure prophylaxis.
Tetany refers to a state of muscle tension.
'; break; case 'tuberculosis': div_copy = 'Tuberculosis (commonly abbreviated as TB) is an infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system (meningitis), lymphatic system, circulatory system (Miliary tuberculosis), genitourinary system, bones and joints.
Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest and common major infectious diseases today. As of 2004, 14.6 million people have active TB disease with nine million new cases of the disease and nearly two million deaths, [1] mostly in developing countries. However, developing countries are not the only places with tuberculosis. There is a rising number of people in the developed world who contract tuberculosis because they have compromised immune systems, typically as a result of immunosupressive drugs or HIV/AIDS. These people are at particular risk of tuberculosis infection and active tuberculosis disease.
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