Question

In a case of measles, which antibiotic should be given?

• A. Amoxicillin
• B. Vitamin A supplementation only, no antibiotic needed
• C. Erythromycin
• D. Co-trimoxazole

Hint:

Measles is viral, but secondary bacterial infections are treated -- recall which antibiotic covers typical respiratory bacterial complications.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Nature of measles. Measles is caused by Measles morbillivirus (paramyxovirus), a single-stranded, negative-sense, enveloped RNA virus. As a viral infection, it does not respond to antibiotics directly.

Step 2: Why antibiotics in measles? Antibiotics are used in measles to prevent or treat secondary bacterial complications, particularly:
- Otitis media (most common bacterial complication)
- Bacterial pneumonia
- These are most commonly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Staphylococcus aureus.

Step 3: Antibiotic of choice. As per WHO guidelines, erythromycin (or amoxicillin in some protocols) is used as prophylactic or therapeutic antibiotic in measles. However, erythromycin is specifically recommended in the context of measles because it covers typical respiratory pathogens and is used for prophylaxis of secondary bacterial infections. In Indian guidelines and standard NEET PG teaching, erythromycin is the antibiotic classically associated with measles management.

Step 4: Vitamin A. Vitamin A supplementation (200,000 IU for two days) is an essential part of measles treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality, but it is not an antibiotic.

Conclusion: Erythromycin is the antibiotic given in measles to prevent secondary bacterial complications.