Survey of Ophthalmology
Volume 49, Issue 2 , Pages 243-255, March 2004

Measles blindness☆

  • Richard D. Semba, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint address: Dr. Richard D. Semba, 550 North Broadway, Suite 700, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
    • ,
  • Martin W. Bloem, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Helen Keller International, Jakarta, Indonesia

JOHANNA SEDDON AND DONALD FONG, EDITORS

Abstract 

Measles remains a major problem in developing countries, where it affects an estimated 30 million children a year and causes up to one million deaths annually. Measles blindness is the single leading cause of blindness among children in low income countries, accounting for an estimated 15,000 to 60,000 cases of blindness per year. There is a close synergism between measles and vitamin A deficiency that can result in xerophthalmia, with corneal ulceration, keratomalacia, and subsequent corneal scarring or phthisis bulbi. High-dose oral vitamin A supplementation is recommended for all children with measles in developing countries. Higher measles immunization coverage to interrupt measles transmission and interventions aimed at improving vitamin A nutriture of children are the main strategies to prevent measles blindness.

Keywords: blindness, cornea, malnutrition, measles, retinol, vitamin A deficiency

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☆ This review was supported by the National Institutes of Health (HD32247, HD30042, AI41956), the Fogarty International Center, and the United States Agency for International Development (Cooperative Agreement HRN A-0097-00015-00). The authors reported no proprietary or commercial interest in any product mentioned or concept discussed in this article.

PII: S0039-6257(03)00179-6

doi:10.1016/j.survophthal.2003.12.005

Survey of Ophthalmology
Volume 49, Issue 2 , Pages 243-255, March 2004

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