Measles
Measles is a highly contagious infectious
disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after
exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically
include fever, often greater than 40 °C (104 °F), cough, runny nose, and
inflamed eyes.
What
are 3 symptoms of measles?
Measles symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after
contact with the virus and typically include high fever, cough, runny nose, and
watery eyes. Measles rash appears 3 to 5 days after the first symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms
Measles symptoms
appear 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus and typically include high
fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. Measles rash appears 3 to 5 days
after the first symptoms.
7 – 14 days after a measles infection: first symptoms show
Measles isn’t just a little rash. Measles
can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. Measles typically
begins with high fever (may spike to more than 104°), cough,
runny nose (coryza), and red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis).
Measles is serious
Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young
children.
Call your healthcare
provider immediately if you think you or your child have been exposed to
measles.
Complications of measles
3-5 days after symptoms begin: measles rash
Three to five days after symptoms begin, a
rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at
the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet.
Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red
spots.
The spots may become joined together as they spread from the
head to the rest of the body.
When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more
than 104° Fahrenheit.
Measles is a serious disease that can lead to complications
and death
Measles is a very
contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads through the air when an
infected person coughs or sneezes. In fact, the measles virus can stay in the
air for up to 2 hours after an infected person was there. So you can get
infected by simply being in a room where an infected person once was. It is so
contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to him or
her will also become infected if they are not protected.
Measles starts with
fever. Soon after, it causes a cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Then a rash of
tiny, red spots breaks out. It starts at the head and spreads to the rest of
the body.
Measles
is a serious disease that can lead to complications and death
Measles is a very contagious disease caused
by a virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or
sneezes. In fact, the measles virus can stay in the air for up to 2 hours after
an infected person was there. So you can get infected by simply being in a room
where an infected person once was. It is so contagious that
if one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to him or her will also
become infected if they are not protected.
Measles starts with fever. Soon after, it
causes a cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Then a rash of tiny, red spots breaks
out. It starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body.
Vaccination prevents
measles-related complications and death Before the measles vaccination program
started in 1963: an estimated 3 to 4 million people got measles each year in
the United States; of these, approximately 500,000 cases were reported each
year to CDC;
of these, 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were
hospitalized, and 1,000 developed encephalitis (brain swelling) from measles.
Since then, widespread use of measles
vaccine has led to a greater than 99% reduction in measles cases compared with
the pre-vaccine era.
How measles spreads
Measles is a highly
contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person.
It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing.
If other people
breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their
eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected.
Animals do not get or spread measles.
The virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases
Measles is so contagious that if one person
has it, up to 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will
also become infected.
Infected people can
spread measles to others from four days before through four days after the rash
appears.
Measles virus can
live for up to two hours in an airspace after an infected person leaves an
area.
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.
Medications
Treatment for a measles infection may
include:
·
Fever
reducers. If a fever is
making you or your child uncomfortable, you can use over-the-counter
medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin
IB, Children's Motrin, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) to help bring down
the fever that accompanies measles. Read the labels carefully or ask your
health care provider or pharmacist about the appropriate dose.
Use caution when giving aspirin to children or
teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 3,
children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should
never take aspirin. This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome,
a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children.
·
Antibiotics. If
a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia or an ear infection, develops while
you or your child has measles, your health care provider may prescribe an
antibiotic.
·
Vitamin A. Children
with low levels of vitamin A are more likely to have a more severe case of
measles. Giving a child vitamin A may lessen the severity of measles infection.
It's generally given as a large dose of 200,000 international units (IU) for
children older than a year. Smaller doses may be given to younger children.
Can measles be
prevented?
- Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent getting or exposing others to measles. The measles vaccine, known as the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, is safe and effective. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective.
- People should get the MMR vaccine if they haven't been vaccinated or don't know if they got the vaccine before. If you aren't sure if you were vaccinated, you should try to find your vaccine records.
- If you are unable to find your records and are unsure whether or not you were fully vaccinated, you should discuss your risk factors with your physician. The MMR vaccine is safe, and there is no harm in getting another dose even if you may be already immune to measles, mumps, or rubella.
- Children should be vaccinated at 12-15 months of age and again at 4-6 years of age.
- Individuals at a higher risk for exposure to measles are individuals attending college and other post-high school educational institutions, individuals with young children or who work in child care facilities, individuals working in health care facilities, and international travelers.
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