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Determinants of Measles Mortality: Host or Transmission Factors?

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Medical Virology 10

Abstract

The WHO estimates that measles kills 1.5–2 million annually in the developing countries, making it the major killer among vaccine preventable diseases (Aaby et al. 1987a). Though the accuracy of this estimate can be discussed, there is no doubt that measles poses a major public health hazard in developing countries. Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that measles infection is connected with long-term effects on morbidity and mortality which have not been considered when evaluating its importance (Aaby and Clemens, 1989). It is therefore likely that measles presents a larger health problem than usually understood. Though measles has often been considered “the simplest of all infectious diseases” (Maxcy, 1948), it may well be the single pathogen connected with the largest number of childhood deaths.

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  1. Institute of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Peter Aaby

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  1. Irvine Medical Center, University of California, Orange, California, USA

    Luis M. de la Maza  & Ellena M. Peterson  & 

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Aaby, P. (1991). Determinants of Measles Mortality: Host or Transmission Factors?. In: de la Maza, L.M., Peterson, E.M. (eds) Medical Virology 10. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3738-0_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3738-0_5

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