Measles Disease

Cause

Measles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus. The disease of measles and the virus that causes it share the same name. The disease is also called rubeola. Measles virus normally grows in the cells that line the back of the throat and lungs.

Symptoms

Measles causes fever, runny nose, cough and a rash all over the body. The symptoms of measles generally begin about 7-14 days after a person is infected, and include:

Measles Rash

Skin of a patient after 3 days of measles infection.

• Blotchy rash
• Fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
• Feeling run down, achy (malaise)
• Tiny white spots with bluish-white centers found inside the mouth (Koplik’s spots)

A typical case of measles begins with mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and sore throat. Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots (Koplik’s spots) may appear inside the mouth.

Three to five days after the start of symptoms, a red or reddish-brown rash appears. The rash usually begins on a person’s face at the hairline and spreads downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

After a few days, the fever subsides and the rash fades.

Complications

About one out of 10 children with measles also gets an ear infection, and up to one out of 20 gets pneumonia. About one out of 1,000 gets encephalitis, and one or two out of 1,000 die. Other rash-causing diseases often confused with measles include roseola (roseola infantum) and rubella (German measles).

Transmission

Transmission Measles is highly contagious and can be spread to others from four days before to four days after the rash appears. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected with the measles virus.

The virus lives in the mucus in the nose and throat of the infected person. When that person sneezes or coughs, droplets spray into the air. The droplets can get into other people’s noses or throats when they breathe or put their fingers in their mouth or nose after touching an infected surface. The virus can live on infected surfaces for up to 2 hours and spreads so easily that people who are not immune will probably get it when they come close to someone who is infected.

Prevention

• Frequent, thorough hand washing.
• * Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are an excellent alternative to hand washing.
• Avoid sharing eating utensils, glasses, napkins, food or towels.
• Avoid touching public phones or drinking fountains with mouth.
• Regularly clean telephones, TV remotes and computer keyboards with sanitizing cleanser. When travelling, clean phones and remotes in hotel room.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay indoors as much as possible.
• Humidify the air.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue then throw it away.
• Persons with signs and symptoms should be referred for medical consultation.

Measles (Rubella)

What is Rubella?

Rubella is often called "German measles," but it is a different disease than measles and is caused by a different virus. Like measles, rubella causes a rash. The rubella rash is fainter than the measles rash and lasts 2–3 days. A person with rubella might also have a slight fever and feel general discomfort. However about 50% of people who have rubella do not have any symptoms.

However, rubella can be very dangerous for unborn babies. If a woman gets rubella during pregnancy, especially during the early stages of pregnancy, it can lead to premature delivery or fetal death. Getting rubella during pregnancy can also result in serious birth defects, such as deafness, cataracts, heart defects, mental retardation, or liver and spleen damage. An epidemic of rubella in the U.S. in 1964–65 led to an estimated 11,250 fetal deaths, 2,100 newborn deaths, 11,600 babies born deaf, 3,580 babies born blind, and 1,800 babies born mentally retarded.

The best way to protect unborn children from rubella is to stop the spread of the disease. Parents should make sure that their young children get vaccinated on time with the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. Susceptible adults (those who have never had rubella and who have never been vaccinated) should also get the vaccine. This is especially important for any woman who is susceptible to rubella and might become pregnant, unless a blood test shows she is immune to the disease.

After the rubella vaccine was licensed in 1969, the number of rubella cases in the U.S. declined rapidly. Today, because so many people are vaccinated, rubella is no longer endemic (i.e., constantly present) in this country, and cases of the disease are rare. However, rubella can be brought into the U.S. at any time by travelers from countries where the disease is still present or by unvaccinated U.S. residents traveling to these countries. Again, people in the U.S. who have not been infected with the rubella virus and who have not been vaccinated against the disease may be susceptible to infection.

MMR Vaccine: The Best Protection against Rubella

The rubella vaccine is included in MMR, a combination vaccine that provides protection against three viral diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella. The MMR vaccine is strongly endorsed by medical and public health experts as safe and effective. Two doses are recommended for children—the first dose at 12–15 months of age and the second dose before entering school, at 4–6 years of age. In addition, any woman who is susceptible to rubella and might become pregnant should be vaccinated, unless a blood test shows she is.