What Hongkongers should know about Japan's measles outbreak
Hongkongers are unlikely to catch the highly infectious disease, but health authorities advise people from at-risk groups to avoid affected areas
What is measles, and why is it a concern?
Measles is a highly infectious disease caused by the measles virus. Infected patients first have symptoms such as a fever, runny nose and white spots inside the mouth, followed by a red, blotchy skin rash that can spread over the body and persist for up to three weeks. In severe cases, the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and brain can be affected, leading to serious consequences including death.
The disease can be transmitted through the air, such as by coughing and sneezing, or via direct contact with an infected person’s nasal or throat secretions.
Despite the availability of a vaccine, measles remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally. According to the WHO, about 90,000 people around the world died from the disease in 2016, most of them children under the age of five.