Measles

Introduction:

Measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. Once quite common, measles can now almost always be prevented with a vaccine.

 

Also called rubeola, measles spreads easily and can be serious and even fatal for small children. While death rates have been falling worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 200,000 people a year, mostly children.

 

As a result of high vaccination rates in general, measles hasn't been widespread in the United States in about two decades. Most recent measles cases in the U.S. originated outside the country and occurred in people who were unvaccinated or who didn't know whether or not they had been vaccinated.

 

Symptoms:

Measles signs and symptoms appear around 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Signs and symptoms of measles typically include:

 

Fever

Dry cough

Runny nose

Sore throat

Inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis)

Tiny white spots with bluish-white centers on a red background found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek — also called Koplik's spots

A skin rash made up of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another

 

 

When can a person spreads the virus:

A person with measles can spread the virus to others for about eight days, starting four days before the rash appears and ending when the rash has been present for four days.

 

Causes:

Measles is a highly contagious illness. This means it's very easily spread to others. Measles is caused by a virus found in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. When someone with measles coughs, sneezes or talks, infectious droplets spray into the air, where other people can breathe them in. The infectious droplets can hang in the air for about an hour.

 

The infectious droplets may also land on a surface, where they can live and spread for several hours. You can get the measles virus by putting your fingers in your mouth or nose or rubbing your eyes after touching the infected surface.

 

Measles is highly contagious from about four days before to four days after the rash appears. About 90% of people who haven't had measles or been vaccinated against measles will become infected when exposed to someone with the measles virus.

 

 

Prevention:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children and adults receive the measles vaccine to prevent measles.

 

Treatment:

There's no specific treatment for a measles infection once it occurs. Treatment includes providing comfort measures to relieve symptoms, such as rest, and treating or preventing complications.

 

However, some measures can be taken to protect individuals who don't have immunity to measles after they've been exposed to the virus.

 

Post-exposure vaccination. People without immunity to measles, including infants, may be given the measles vaccine within 72 hours of exposure to the measles virus to provide protection against it. If measles still develops, it usually has milder symptoms and lasts for a shorter time.

Immune serum globulin. Pregnant women, infants and people with weakened immune systems who are exposed to the virus may receive an injection of proteins (antibodies) called immune serum globulin. When given within six days of exposure to the virus, these antibodies can prevent measles or make symptoms less severe.