| Summary: | A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Johannesburg 1998 === Measles virus (MV) is a member of the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae of RNA viruses. Other members of the same genus include canine distemper virus (CDV), rinderpest virus (RV) in cattle, peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), phocine distemper virus (PDV) in seals, and porpoise and dolphin morbilliviruses. Recently, another morbillivirus was isolated from an outbreak of fatal respiratory disease in horses and humans in Australia (Murray,K. et al., 1995). Measles virus and other morbilliviruses lack neuramidase activity but cause the formation of intranuclear inclusion bodies, which distinguishes them from other paramyxoviruses (Griffin, D.E. and Bellini, W.J., 1996).
Measles virus is a highly contagious and important human pathogen causing disease in the nonimmune individual. The monotypic nature of the virus, the life-long immunity after infection, the lack of an animal reservoir, and the fact that a very effective live-attenuated vaccine is available, make it theoretically possible to eradicate measles (Rima, B.K., et al., 1995b). However, the virus continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and infants in the developing world. === IT2019
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