Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than 40 °C (104 °F), cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes. Small white spots known as Kopliks spots may form inside the mouth two or three days after the start of symptoms. A red, flat rash which usually starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body typically begins three to five days after the start of symptoms. Common complications include diarrhea (in 8% of cases), middle ear infection (7%), and pneumonia (6%). These occur in part due to measles-induced immunosuppression. Less commonly seizures, blindness, or inflammation of the brain may occur. Other names include morbilli, rubeola, red measles, and English measles. Both rubella, also known as German measles, and roseola are different diseases caused by unrelated viruses.Measles is an airborne disease which spreads easily from one person to the next through the coughs and sneezes of infected people. It may also be spread through direct contact with mouth or nasal secretions. It is extremely contagious: nine out of ten people who are not immune and share living space with an infected person will be infected. Furthermore, measless reproductive number estimates vary beyond the frequently cited range of 12 to 18. The NIH quote this 2017 paper saying: "[a] review in 2017 identified feasible measles R0 values of 3.7–203.3".
Sulfasalazine (SSZ), sold under the trade name Azulfidine among others, is a medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohns disease. It is considered by some to be a first-line treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. It is taken by mouth.Significant side effects occur in about 25% of people. Commonly these include loss of appetite, nausea, headache, and rash. Severe side effects include bone marrow suppression, liver problems, Stevens–Johnson syndrome, and kidney problems. It should not be used in people allergic to aspirin or sulfonamide. Use during pregnancy appears to be safe for the baby.Sulfasalazine is in the disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) family of medications. It is unclear exactly how it works. One proposed mechanism is the inhibition of prostaglandins, resulting in local anti-inflammatory effects in the colon. The medication is broken down by intestinal bacteria into sulfapyridine and 5-aminosalicylic acid. That which is absorbed is excreted by the kidneys and in the bile.Sulfasalazine was approved for medical use in the United States in 1950. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. Sulfasalazine is available as a generic medication. Medical uses
Sulfasalazine is used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease. It is also indicated for use in rheumatoid arthritis and used in other types of inflammatory arthritis (e.g. psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthritis).It is usually not given to children under two years of age.