| Disease
Fact Sheet Series:
What is measles?
Measles is a disease cause by measles virus and is sometimes referred to
as "hard", "red" or "10 day measles".
Who can get measles?
Measles virus can infect any person of any age who has not previously
had the disease or measles vaccine.
How is measles spread?
Airborne droplets, as the result of coughing or sneezing, spread the
virus. It spreads easily and rapidly.
How soon do symptoms appear after exposure?
It takes from 8-12 days for the cold-like symptoms to appear and 14
days for the rash.
What are the signs and symptoms of measles?
The disease begins with cold like signs and symptoms including a
cough, runny nose, high temperature and red watery eyes. By the second day
after onset, a red blotchy rash appears at the hairline and spreads down
the body to the arms and legs. The rash disappears in the same order of
appearance (head to foot) in about 5-6 days.
How can parents be sure that their child’s illness is measles?
The only sure way to determine if an illness is indeed measles is
through a blood test.
When and for how long is a person able to spread measles?
Measles can be spread from one day before the onset of cold-like
symptoms through the fourth day of the rash.
What are the complications associated with measles?
Among children with measles, about 10% develop ear infections, about
5% develop pneumonia, about 0.1% (1 per 1000 cases) develop encephalitis
(inflammation of the brain that can result in deafness or mental
retardation), and about 0.1% to 0.2% (1 to 2 per 1000 cases) die from it.
Is there a treatment for measles?
There is no specific treatment for measles.
Can measles be prevented?
Yes. Measles vaccine (usually given in combination with rubella and
mumps vaccine and called measles-mumps-rubella or MMR vaccine) is
recommended for all children at 12-15 months of age and again at 4-6 years
of age. The two doses of vaccine normally provide life long immunity.
Does a past infection with measles make a person immune for life?
Yes
For more information, contact your
Local
Public Health Department
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Last Revised: November 04, 2008
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