Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that causes a fever, red rash and red eyes. It can have serious complications, such as encephalitis and hearing loss. Despite the widespread availability of a measles vaccines, the disease kills over 200,000 people, most of them children, each year. That said, because of the widespread availability of vaccinations, measles has been nearly eradicated in most developed countries. Most cases that occur in developed countries occur in people who are unvaccinated or who are unaware of their vaccination status.
Measles symptoms fall into two distinct categories: prodromal and rash. The prodromal symptoms simply refer to the standard symptoms of most illnesses and may include the following:
Approximately two to three days after the initial onset of symptoms, infected persons may develop Koplik’s spots, or tiny white spots with a red background and bluish-white centres. These spots typically develop in the mouth along the inner lining of the cheek.
Once symptoms begin, infected persons will then begin to develop a rash. This rash — called a maculopapular rash — begins on the face and head and spreads its way downward, to the neck, chest, abdomen, legs and feet. The rash often consists of both flat and raised skin lesions, which may join together as they become more prevalent. The rash is usually not itchy. In many cases, the fever spikes to 104 degrees F or higher when the rash is present.
Measles typically occurs in three stages over a course of two to three weeks. Below is an overview of each stage.
The incubation period of measles is long, at between 10 to 14 days. What this means is that most people who come into contact with the virus will not begin to develop symptoms until 10 to 14 days after infection.
Once the incubation period is up, an infected person will begin to develop symptoms that are characteristic of several other common illnesses, such as the cold and flu. These symptoms include a mild to moderate fever, runny nose, cough and inflamed eyes. These milder symptoms typically last from two to three days.
It is at this point that measles starts to become more uncomfortable and severe. After about two to three days of experiencing mild symptoms, an infected person may start to notice the development of spots and bumps on his or her face. This rash will continue to grow over the next couple of days, making its way down the neck, to the torso, all the way down to the toes.
As the rash spreads, one’s fever may begin to rise to dangerous levels. In severe cases, fevers spike to between 10$ and 40 to 41 C.
The final stage of measles is the recovery phase. Measles symptoms typically persist for seven days, after which point, the rash will gradually begin to fade. Just as it started with the face, the rash will begin to fade from the face first and from the feet last.
Though most symptoms will likely fade after seven days, the cough and dark spots from the rash may persist for up to 10.
Measles is contagious for quite some time. Most people can spread the virus as early as four days before the rash appears and up to four days after the rash develops completely.
The measles rash is distinctive, and most health professionals can make a diagnosis based on it alone. However, if you or a child is in the early stages of measles — meaning, the rash has yet to develop — and if you go to the doctor for a diagnosis, your doctor may order lab tests using samples of one or more of the following:
Unfortunately, there is no cure for measles. If you or a loved one contract it, you must let it run its course, which can take anywhere from 10 to 14 days. That said, there are ways to manage the illness and ensure your comfort for its duration:
If your child or teenager contracts measles, do not give him or her aspirin his or her doctor specifically tells you to. Some children are at risk of developing Reye’s syndrome from aspirin use.
Measles is caused by an extremely contagious virus called morbillivirus. This virus is so contagious that, if 10 unvaccinated individuals were in a room with an infected person, nine out of those 10 people would walk away with measles.
People can spread measles in various ways. Those are as follows:
The airborne contaminated droplets often linger far longer than the infected person, making an already contagious virus even more so. In fact, the measles virus can remain alive and infectious for up to two hours after dispelled into the air or onto a surface.
Though commonly thought of as a childhood virus, measles can affect both adults and children. Adults who have not been vaccinated for the virus are at a higher risk of catching the virus than those who are vaccinated. It is a generally accepted belief that adults who were born in 1957 or earlier are immune to the virus, as the vaccine was not developed until 1963. Prior to the development of the vaccine, individuals were naturally exposed to the virus and developed immunities as a result.
Babies have a heightened risk of developing measles because their immune systems are not yet fully developed. For this reason, most health organizations recommend that children receive their first measles vaccine when they turn one year old. This recommendation is in place despite infants being the most vulnerable population.
Research does suggest that babies have what is known as “passive immunity” to the virus, which they receive from their vaccinated mothers both in the placenta and through breast feeding. However, studies show that this immunity begins to wane at about two months old and is completely lost by 2.5 months.
Childhood vaccinations are critical to children’s health. Children who are unvaccinated and contract the virus at an age younger than five have a higher risk of developing complications.
Measles can have serious and often unpreventable complications. About one-third of individuals who contract measles end up developing complications. Those individuals usually fall into one of the following groups:
Complications include but are not limited to the following:
There are a few ways to avoid contracting measles and/or spreading it to others.
Receiving the measles vaccine is the number one way to prevent contracting and spreading the measles virus. There are two types of measles vaccinations: the MMR vaccine and the MMRV vaccine. The MMR immunization protects against measles, mumps and rubella, while the MMRV protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. Most people receive one dose of one or the other when they are around 12 months. Doctors recommend children receive their second dose between the ages of four and six. Adults who have never been vaccinated should receive both doses within the same timeframe.
The two-dose immunization is highly effective, with a 97% efficacy rate. For this reason, health organizations recommend that anyone who can, should receive the immunization.
That said, there are some groups of people who cannot or should not receive the measles vaccination. Those groups include:
Despite a prevailing belief that the measles vaccine causes autism, extensive research on the subject debunked this myth. That said, measles vaccines can cause mild side effects. Some such side effects include fever, mild rash and, in rare cases, seizures.
If you can receive the measles vaccine, you should, as doing so will protect not only yourself but your community as well. Research shows that when at least 96% of the population is vaccinated, societies can achieve what is called “herd immunity,” a type of immunity that prevents viruses from circulating and spreading within a population.
If you or a loved one has already contracted measles, you have a social responsibility to contain the virus and keep it from spreading to more vulnerable members of your community. The best way to do this is to isolate yourself and your household for the duration of your illness. The “duration” begins the day you learn you have the virus and ends four to five days after the rash appears. If members of your household are not vaccinated and have yet to contract the virus, they should avoid any contact with and keep a safe distance from the infected person.
For most people, the outlook for measles is great. Once the disease passes, you will likely have lifelong immunity from the virus. If you or a loved one develop complications, the prognosis may be less certain and depends on unique biological and health factors.