EPIDEMIOLOGY OF MEASLES IN INDIA OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It remains an important cause of death among young children globally. Persian physician Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi provided the first systematic description of measles in the 9th century, and Scottish physician Francis Home later demonstrated in 1757 that the disease was caused by an infectious agent. While there was no single "discovery" of the disease, these two physicians were key figures in differentiating it from other illnesses and understanding its infectious nature. First description: The Persian physician Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (also known as Rhazes) wrote the first detailed clinical description of measles, distinguishing it from smallpox and chickenpox in his book The Book of Smallpox and Measles in the 9th century. Infectious agent: In 1757, the Scottish physician Francis Home showed that measles was caused by an infectious agent by successfully transmitting the disease to healthy individuals using the blood of patients who had measles.