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Health awareness

Sarampión: signos y síntomas

Obtenga más información sobre qué es el virus del sarampión y cómo se propaga

February 19, 2025

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¿Qué es el sarampión?

El sarampión es una enfermedad viral altamente contagiosa que puede afectar a personas de todas las edades, pero es más común en los niños. El sarampión se propaga por el aire cuando una persona infectada tose o estornuda. Los síntomas aparecen entre 10 y 14 días después del contacto con el virus.

Los síntomas comunes del sarampión incluyen los siguientes:

Fiebre alta

(puede subir repentinamente a más de 40 °C)

Tos

Moqueo

Ojos rojos y llorosos

(conjuntivitis)

Manchas en la boca

(2-3 días después de que comiencen los síntomas)

Erupción

(3-5 días después de que comiencen los síntomas)

Cómo se propaga el sarampión

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¿El sarampión se transmite por el aire?

El virus del sarampión puede permanecer hasta dos horas en el ambiente después de que una persona infectada abandona un sitio.

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¿Qué tan contagioso es el sarampión?

Si una persona tiene sarampión, hasta el 90% de las personas no vacunadas que se encuentren cerca de ella también se infectarán.

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¿Por cuánto tiempo es contagioso el sarampión?

Las personas infectadas pueden transmitir el sarampión a otras entre cuatro días antes y cuatro días después de que aparezca la erupción.

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¿Cuánto dura el período de incubación del sarampión?

Después de estar expuesto al virus del sarampión, este puede incubarse por hasta 21 días.

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¿El sarampión causa complicaciones?

El sarampión puede causar complicaciones de salud. Las más comunes son las infecciones de oído y la diarrea. Las complicaciones graves incluyen neumonía y encefalitis (inflamación del cerebro). El sarampión puede afectar la vida diaria de los pacientes y de sus cuidadores (por ejemplo, puede dar lugar a una pérdida de horas de trabajo o días de escuela).

El sarampión puede ser grave y causar complicaciones 

  • El sarampión puede causar graves complicaciones de salud, perjudicar varios órganos, provocar ceguera y afectar los oídos, el tracto gastrointestinal y el sistema nervioso central, incluyendo la inflamación del cerebro y la muerte.
  • Aproximadamente el 30% de los casos de sarampión notificados tienen una o más complicaciones, como encefalitis o neumonía.
  • Cada día, aproximadamente 373 personas mueren en todo el mundo por complicaciones relacionadas con el sarampión, lo que equivale a más de 15 muertes por hora a partir del 2023.

Brotes de sarampión

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Se estima que, en 2022, hubo 136.000 muertes por sarampión en todo el mundo, la mayoría entre niños menores de 5 años no vacunados o no lo suficientemente vacunados, a pesar de la disponibilidad de una vacuna segura y rentable.

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En 2022, un 43% más de personas murieron de sarampión en todo el mundo que en el 2021. La propagación y la escala de la incidencia mundial de la enfermedad del sarampión aumentaron un 18%, con más de 9,2 millones de casos registrados.

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La región europea sufrió un aumento de casos de sarampión en 2023, con más de 30.000 casos notificados por el 75% de los países (40 de 53), incluidas 21.000 hospitalizaciones.

Tanto los desastres naturales como los conflictos pueden poner a los países en mayor riesgo de brotes mortales de sarampión al dañar la infraestructura sanitaria, interrumpir los servicios de salud y colocar a las personas en campamentos residenciales superpoblados.

En 2023, se notificaron 321.582 casos de sarampión a nivel mundial, un aumento del 88% respecto a 2022.

La cantidad de niños que recibieron la primera dosis de la vacuna contra el sarampión fue del 83% en 2023, muy por debajo del 86% registrado en el 2019.

La pandemia del COVID-19 provocó retrocesos en los esfuerzos de vigilancia e inmunización. El sarampión suele ser la primera enfermedad que resurge cuando disminuyen las tasas de vacunación pediátrica, lo que pone a las comunidades en mayor riesgo de brotes de sarampión prevenibles.

El sarampión todavía es común en muchas partes del mundo y los viajeros con sarampión pueden llevar la enfermedad a países que la han eliminado en gran medida. El sarampión puede propagarse rápidamente.

Para obtener más información, incluidas las últimas estadísticas sobre brotes, hable con su médico o visite el sitio web de la OMS.

Sitio web de la OMS

Innovation

Our researchers incorporate LLMs to accelerate drug discovery and development

What are artificial intelligence (AI) agents? They're intelligent systems combining large language models (LLM), AI models and tools to iteratively plan, execute and optimize tasks

February 4, 2025

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Did you know that LLMs can be leveraged as master multitaskers? These LLM-based multitaskers, often called AI agents, can execute different tasks simultaneously. Having a team of high-performing AI assistants that can each play different roles ultimately helps researchers at MSD Research Labs (MRL) focus on critical drug discovery and development.

In today’s data-driven world, AI agents are emerging as a powerful tool for researchers and scientists to aid them in navigating the complexities of large data sets, refining hypotheses and executing both repetitive and differentiated tasks efficiently. Done manually, that kind of data gathering and analysis costs time and money.

MSD researchers use AI to augment human ability

A long-standing ambition for AI is to help find major scientific discoveries, learn on its own and acquire knowledge autonomously. This is what some call an “AI scientist.” While this concept is aspirational, advances in agent-based AI can help pave the way for the development of AI agents as conversable systems capable of reflective learning and reasoning that coordinate LLMs, machine learning (ML) tools, or even combinations of them.

Rather than taking humans out of the discovery process, AI can augment human ability to break down a problem into manageable subtasks, which can then be addressed by AI agents with specialized functions for targeted problem solving and integration of scientific knowledge. One significant advantage of these collaborative systems is their capacity for automation. Repetitive tasks, such as data cleaning or preliminary analysis, can be handled by AI agents, freeing our scientists to focus on higher level work and strategic decision making.

“We’ve already deployed AI agents, including in development workflows like medical writing, where agents query and assemble knowledge, and evaluate both human and AI writing.”

  • Matt Studney
    Senior vice president, information technology, MRL

“We see broad applicability of AI agents, for example in orchestrating discovery workflows, where agents can help researchers in generating molecular design ideas and insights, optimize assay workflows and generate biology insights integrated across cells, organisms and human genomics,” he said. “We see agents making the R&D process faster and crucially driving higher quality results. Agents help capitalize on MSD’s long-standing investments in AI/ML by rapidly accelerating the speed of our human researchers at scale.”

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Innovation

Our Q4 and full-year 2024 financial results

February 4, 2025

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MSD’s Q4 and full-year 2024 results reflect strong growth. Our company announced Q4 worldwide sales of $15.6 billion, an increase of 7% from Q4 2023. Full-year 2024 worldwide sales were $64.2 billion, an increase of 7% from full-year 2023. ​

​“We delivered strong growth in 2024, reflecting demand for our innovative portfolio, including for KEYTRUDA, the successful launch of WINREVAIR and strong performance of our Animal Health business,” said Rob Davis, chairman and chief executive officer. “We’re continuing to progress our pipeline, advance key clinical programs and augment our pipeline through promising business development. Our business remains well positioned thanks to the dedication of our talented global team, and I am more confident than ever in our long-term growth potential.”​

​MSD anticipates full-year 2025 worldwide sales to be between $64.1 billion and $65.6 billion.​

​Take a look at the infographic below for more details on Q4 and full-year 2024 results.

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Health awareness

Make time to get screened for cancer

Find out why it's important to follow cancer screening recommendations

January 15, 2025

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We’ve all had the feeling that there aren’t enough hours in the day. In between everything else on the to-do list, it can feel hard to make your health and annual appointments a priority. However, it’s important to take control of your health and talk to your doctor about what cancer screenings might be recommended for you.

Why timing matters in cancer screening

Time is important with a cancer diagnosis so that treatment can be started early, before cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Cancer screenings can increase the chance of finding disease before a person has symptoms or when cancer is still in earlier stages.

There are screening guidelines for many types of cancer, such as breast, colorectal and lung cancer, as well as melanoma. Screening recommendations often take into consideration a few factors, such as age, family history and lifestyle. Your doctor can help you identify which screenings might be right for you.

As a leader in oncology, we’re committed to addressing the global impact of cancer.

“Through our work to increase access to screening and our other initiatives and programs, we appreciate the importance of finding disease early, before it has spread to help enable early treatment, because we believe people with cancer deserve more,” said Linda Kollmar, associate vice president, medical affairs, value and implementation.

So, make time now to talk to your doctor and to find out if you’re eligible for cancer screening.

We’re working to help address other barriers to cancer screening

Raising awareness about cancer screening is just one way our company works to help improve lives. We also strive to help address barriers to screening and treatment, which is why we work with partners around the globe to support public health initiatives that support recommended screening and create access to high quality cancer care for all patients.

Our support of the American Cancer Society’s Get Screened initiative makes it possible for community members to be screened for breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer who might not have access otherwise. And working with City Cancer Challenge, we support the Patient Navigation Program in Kigali, Rwanda to train nurses as patient navigators who can help people understand health information more easily and gain access to health care options more quickly.

Find out more about how we collaborate with partners around the world to help make cancer care more accessible.

Sustainability

In memory of President Jimmy Carter, 1924–2024

Honoring a life and legacy of profound impact for global health

December 29, 2024

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Former President Jimmy Carter exemplified a life of service, first through his governorship and presidency, and later through the Carter Center and its commitment to improving the health and well-being of those most in need. We are privileged to have worked side-by-side with President Carter and the Carter Center on its ongoing work to eliminate river blindness in countries throughout Africa and Latin America.  

Over decades of our partnership through the Mectizan® Donation Program, the Carter Center has distributed more than 500 million treatments in our shared efforts to donate Mectizan — as much as needed, for as long as needed. 

While President Carter did not want to take credit for the program, all of us at MSD know it was his leadership and commitment to global health that made this a reality.

We share in the grief of all those whose lives have been touched by President Carter. They are a living testament to his compassion, selflessness and generosity.

President Carter’s memory will guide and inspire us as we continue our work for patients and communities. 

May he rest in the peace he wished for the world.

Pictured above: Jimmy Carter and retired MSD CEO Dr. Roy Vagelos meet with people affected by river blindness, 1994.

Innovation

Podcast: How AI can improve insight into disease biology

A scientist explains how we’re using AI capabilities to help identify patterns in tissue and tumor samples indiscernible to the human eye

December 20, 2024

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We see the potential of data science, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to help investigate new areas, pathways and mechanisms that may forge new opportunities to strengthen our pipeline through enhanced insights.

In a recent episode of the Health Pulse podcast by SAS, Dr. Greg Goldmacher, associate vice president, clinical research, and head of clinical imaging and pathology at MSD, discussed how we’re using these AI capabilities, like computer vision, to improve disease biology insights and help with objective imaging analysis to identify patterns indiscernible to the human eye.

“If you have AI tools that are trained to pick up subtle early signs of disease on scans that are being done for other reasons, there’s a real opportunity there for earlier diagnosis,” said Goldmacher in the podcast episode. “If you’re going to do opportunistic screening, for example, and want to train AI for that, what you need is longitudinal data sets where you can find patients who had the disease, and then go and look for scans that they might have had in the past to use to train the disease-recognizing models.”

Listen to the podcast

Read the transcript

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Sustainability

How we’re addressing health literacy

Many people struggle to understand health information, which can impact health outcomes. What we're doing to support health literacy.

December 20, 2024

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What is health literacy?

At points in our lives, we need to make health or medical decisions for ourselves, members of our family or those in our care.  And sometimes it can be challenging. Whether it’s deciding to receive a vaccine, start a new medication, undergo a procedure or join a clinical trial, our level of health literacy — the ability to find, understand and use information and services — can play an important role in health outcomes. Unfortunately, when people struggle, there may be negative health consequences, like decreased adherence to treatment plans, increased emergency room visits and hospital stays, and higher mortality rates.

Low health literacy is more common in vulnerable populations

While limited health literacy can affect anyone, there are certain populations at greater risk: older adults, racial and ethnic minorities, those with low income or less education, and people with compromised health status.

“As a company committed to helping save and improve lives, it’s our responsibility to communicate in a way that people can understand so that they can make informed health decisions,” said Shehla Hussain, director, medical writing safety services.

Health literacy is important for health equity

People with better health literacy are more likely to proactively engage in disease preventive behaviors and make informed decisions about their well-being. On the other hand, people with lower or limited health literacy may struggle to understand relevant information, leading to an increased risk of poor health outcomes.

How we’re making medical information easier to understand

We’re committed to making sure the information we share with the world is very clear. It’s something we’ve focused on since 2011, long before the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services updated the definition of health literacy in 2020 to acknowledge that organizations have a responsibility to enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

As part of our efforts, we created a plain language glossary and established company-wide standards focused on improving the health literacy of the information in our resources and materials. It starts in product development and continues through the life cycle of the product, including clinical trials, labeling, post-approval, marketing and promotional materials. For example, we’re:

  • Creating easy-to-read patient labels.
  • Improving packaging and instructions for use.
  • Developing easy-to-understand disease educational materials.
  • Improving health literacy within clinical trials.
  • Expanding our plain language glossary of medical/scientific terms
  • Supporting research on health literacy.
  • Utilizing plain language and graphics in digital and online resources.
  • Sharing best practices externally.

We also listen to the people who use or may use our products to help guide our efforts.

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“We work to build trust by listening to the communities we serve, understanding their needs and making our information clear, concise and understandable.”

– English D. Willis

Executive director, clinical safety and risk management, and executive sponsor, Health Literacy Community of Practice

Reducing health disparities around clinical trials

Within our clinical trials, we strive to reduce health care disparities by increasing diverse representation in our clinical trials.

“Health literacy is critically important for achieving clinical trial diversity as it ensures that individuals from diverse backgrounds can understand trial information, make informed decisions and effectively participate. Improving health literacy is essential for equitable access and participation, fostering greater inclusivity in research, leading to more representative and impactful outcomes” said Luther Clark, executive director, medical affairs, patient innovation and engagement.

Euvon Jones, a clinical trial participant, said: “Knowledge is power, and during my journey with prostate cancer, I realized the importance of fully understanding my diagnosis and the options available to me. Through conversations with my doctor and loved ones, and seeking information from reliable sources, I felt empowered to make informed decisions. When we fully understand the importance of the health information we receive, we’re better equipped to navigate the health care system, communicate with providers and advocate for the best possible care.”

Look at some examples of our work

TNBC_KeyTerm_Hormone

Defining complex medical terms in plain language

By defining common terms used by health care providers, patients feel more prepared and confident to engage in discussions with their care teams.

Website

Easy to navigate website

Understanding the patient's perspective allowed us to create a website that anticipates their needs for easy navigation. Plainer language, effective visuals and simple layouts make the website a useful tool.

health literacy retinopathy

Seeing from the patient perspective

In a diabetes awareness brochure, we presented the view from the patient's perspective so they can see the potential effects of eye damage from diabetes.

“And our work isn’t done. While we continue to learn and engage with communities, we’re also learning better ways to communicate with our consumers, patients and the general public.”

– English D. Willis

Innovation

Building on our understanding of gynecologic cancers

How we’re driving research forward for women with common types of gynecologic cancer

December 16, 2024

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By the numbers, the impact of gynecologic cancers feels overwhelming. The term “gynecologic cancers” primarily refers to cancers of three organs: the uterus, ovaries and cervix. As of 2022, these gynecologic cancers are some of the most commonly occurring cancer types for women worldwide. Even with advances in prevention and treatment, nearly 700,000 are projected to die from these diseases every year.

“To truly understand where we can begin to make progress, we need to look beyond the numbers,” said Dr. Gursel Aktan, vice president, global clinical development.

Understanding the trend

While “gynecologic cancers” primarily refers to the three cancer types mentioned above, it may also include cancers of the fallopian tube, vagina, and vulva.

“While the gynecologic cancer rates vary from country to country, the overall incidence rates of endometrial and cervical cancers have increased over time.”

  • Dr. Gursel Aktan

Endometrial cancer, which affects the lining of the uterus, is the most common gynecologic cancer in developed countries. Incidence rates for cervical and endometrial cancers, which mainly affect post-menopausal women, have been rising globally over the last two decades. The highest rates of diagnosis and death from gynecologic cancers were found in Eastern and Southern Africa and Melanesia.

“Unfortunately, many women may not recognize their symptoms as abnormal until their tumors are larger or may have spread,” said Dr. Aktan.

Building on what we have learned

“As our understanding of cancer continues to improve, there have been meaningful advances in cancer therapy, but we still have work to do to achieve our goal of helping more patients,” said Dr. Aktan.

To build on that momentum, we’re driving forward research focused on novel approaches for patients with certain gynecologic cancers with ~12 clinical trials for ~8,000 patients around the world. This work is grounded in our company’s three key focus areas in oncology research:

  • Evaluating combinations that play different roles in adjusting the immune response.
  • Precision molecular targeting to impact pathways that drive cancer growth.
  • Investigating ways to increase cancer cell sensitivity to immune responses.

“We’re also still learning about the right sequence in which to use treatments, and the truth is, the answers may be different tumor by tumor, patient by patient,” said Dr. Aktan.

“The better we understand how we can use these approaches to further cancer care, the closer we move toward our ultimate goal of supporting patients touched by cancer.”

  • Dr. Gursel Aktan

Learn more about our work in oncology.

Health awareness

Debunking type 2 diabetes misconceptions

Learn more about type 2 diabetes

November 8, 2024

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While diabetes is a major health concern, there are common misconceptions around type 2 diabetes diagnosis and management that should be addressed.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by resistance to insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, which helps glucose get into the body’s cells to be used for energy. In people with type 2 diabetes, the body isn’t able to properly use insulin, which allows too much glucose to build up in the blood and causes high blood sugar.

Here are some type 2 diabetes misconceptions explained.

01.

Misconception: Type 2 diabetes is not a serious disease.

Explanation: Type 2 diabetes should be taken seriously. If type 2 diabetes is not managed properly, it may lead to serious complications over time. Diabetes management, including learning about the condition, adopting a healthy lifestyle and working with a health care provider to create a treatment plan, can help decrease the risk of long-term complications.

02.

Misconception: If you have type 2 diabetes, the symptoms are obvious.

Explanation: Type 2 diabetes symptoms may develop slowly, often over several years, and can be so mild that it’s easy for symptoms to go unnoticed. Many people have no diabetes symptoms at all.

Type 2 diabetes symptoms may include:

  • Excessive thirst and/or hunger
  • Frequent urination
  • Blurred vision
  • Numbness or tingling in the hands and/or feet
  • Fatigue
  • Cuts and bruises that are slow to heal

03.

Misconception: All people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.

Explanation: While research shows that people who are overweight and who are not physically active are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, there are other personal and lifestyle factors that can increase a person’s risk of developing the condition, including:

  • Age (45 years or older)
  • First degree family history (mother, father, sister, brother)
  • Ethnicity (African Americans, Hispanic/Latinx Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives and some Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans are at higher risk)

04.

Misconception: If a family member has type 2 diabetes, you’ll also develop type 2 diabetes.

Explanation: If your mother, father, sister or brother has type 2 diabetes, you may have an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. However, this is only one of several risk factors. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits may help reduce your risk.

05.

Misconception: Type 2 diabetes only affects blood sugar.

Explanation: People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke. However, there are steps that can be taken to help reduce the risk of some of the more serious complications. These include keeping blood sugar levels as close as possible to a person’s individualized goal, eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol at levels set by a health care professional.

06.

Misconception: Type 2 diabetes can be cured.

Explanation: There’s no cure for type 2 diabetes as for many, it’s a progressive disease. However, there are some lifestyle changes that can help manage the condition, including making healthy food choices and increasing physical activity. Choose whole, minimally processed foods, such as fruits, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat or skim milk cheese, as well as water over juice. Pay attention to how much you are eating, as larger portion sizes mean more calories. Additionally, exercise has been shown to improve blood glucose control, reduce cardiovascular risk factors and contribute to weight loss. Lifestyle changes alone may not be enough to control blood sugar. That’s why it’s important to work with your health care provider to develop an individualized treatment plan.

Health awareness

Learn more about invasive pneumococcal disease and how infection spreads

Invasive pneumococcal disease can lead to a number of serious consequences in children

November 4, 2024

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What is invasive pneumococcal disease?

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is an infection caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae. It can lead to a number of serious illnesses including pneumococcal bacteremia (an infection of the blood) and pneumococcal meningitis (an infection of the coverings of the brain and spinal cord).

Children under the age of 2 and those with certain underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to invasive pneumococcal infection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

~100

different types of S. pneumoniae, called serotypes, exist; however, a smaller number are responsible for most cases of IPD in children

75%

of IPD cases occur in children under 2 years of age, on average, according to a 2019 paper by the WHO

How does pneumococcal infection spread?

Pneumococcal bacteria can spread anywhere, anytime through close contact with respiratory secretions, like those produced from coughing or sneezing. Children can carry the bacteria in their nose or throat without demonstrating signs of illness.

Pneumococcal infections are more common during winter and early spring, when respiratory diseases are more prevalent.

What you can ask your pediatrician about pneumococcal infection:

  • Is my child at risk for invasive pneumococcal disease?
  • How could invasive pneumococcal disease harm my child?
  • What can I do to help reduce the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease for my child?

“There are steps people can take to be proactive about their family’s health. Parents should speak with their health care providers to learn more about invasive pneumococcal disease and the serious consequences it can cause.”

  • Dr. Ulrike Buchwald, scientific associate vice president, clinical research