Florence, June 17 (LaPresse) – A 19-month-old girl nearly lost her life due to measles. The child has finally been discharged from the Intensive Care Unit at the Meyer Pediatric Hospital in Florence, and the worst now seems to be over.
According to doctors, the girl, who had not yet been vaccinated, contracted the infectious disease during a stay abroad, in a country where the virus is still widely circulating. The first symptoms appeared a few days after her return to Italy. Her condition worsened rapidly, requiring hospitalization at Meyer for third-level care.
As can happen in such cases, measles led to a severe form of pneumonia that compromised her ability to breathe, making intubation necessary. After extubation, the patient still required non-invasive respiratory support for several days. Eventually, her condition improved, and she was transferred back to a regular ward.
Pneumonia caused by measles-related lung infection occurs in about 5% of patients and can be very serious, especially in young children. In fatal cases of measles in infants, pneumonia is often the cause of death.
This prompted an appeal from Professor Luisa Galli, head of Infectious Diseases at Meyer University Hospital: “It is essential that children are vaccinated against measles and that this is done according to the recommended vaccination schedule. It is also important to ensure that a child is vaccinated before traveling to countries where these diseases are still widespread due to the lack of herd immunity. Measles can still be dangerous, especially for very young children.”