Epidemiological characteristics and public health responses against measles in the Ottoman empire and the early Turkish Republic

Measles was a persistent and high-mortality childhood disease in both periods studied with marked seasonal and regional variations. Archival records demonstrate that the Ottoman Empire and the early Turkish Republic implemented a range of organized public health responses to limit transmission, many of which are comparable to modern infectious disease control practices. This historical analysis may inform current epidemic preparedness by highlighting early institutional and community-level interventions.