Eyes wide open: The keratitis spike in a recent measles outbreak in North Kerala - A cross sectional study

Purpose: To highlight the resurgence of measles, once considered under control, and to report the emerging trend of corneal involvement in affected individuals, which poses new challenges to public health and clinical management. Design: Cross sectional descriptive study Methods: Comprehensive evaluation was done in 30 clinically diagnosed measles patients. Results: The mean age was 28+/- 9 years. The most common eye symptoms were redness, foreign body sensation and blurred vision. 91% had known h/o vaccination against measles. About 70% had involvement of cornea with small punctate epithelial dot like lesions in 66.7% and large dot like lesions in 25% cases. The treatment for keratitis included topical steroids with lubricants. Conclusion: Despite widespread vaccination, a notable proportion of measles cases have occurred in individuals who have received the vaccine, particularly among young adults. Concurrently a substantial set of these cases has been associated with corneal involvement, presenting a clinical challenge and necessitating a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanism.