MONGOLIA ELIMINATES MEASLES

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to certificate Mongolia as free of measles, in recognition of its total elimination of the disease. Along with Mongolia, three others such as Australia, South Korea and Macao have been declared free of measles and are to be certified accordingly. According to a WHO report, Mongolia has experienced no lab-confirmed or epidemiologically-linked cases since 2010, when last seven clinically confirmed cases of measles occurred. Measles is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. In developing countries, where measles is highly endemic, WHO doctors recommend two doses of vaccine be given at six and nine months of age. Unvaccinated populations are at risk for the disease. There is no specific treatment for measles. Most patients with uncomplicated measles will recover with rest and supportive treatment. It is, however, important to seek medical advice if the patient becomes more unwell, as they may be developing complications.