Which microbe causes measles?

 

• Measles is a disease caused by measles virus

• Measles is typically a disease of children, but unvaccinated adults can get infected and get sick.

• The measles virus is highly contagious. A population of 300,000 to 500,000 of unvaccinated people is required to maintain the virus in circulation.

 

How is the measles virus transmitted?

• The virus is in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person.

  • The virus can spread to others through coughing and sneezing.

• The virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed.

  • If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, thentouch their eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected.

• Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of the people close tothat 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 on the skin.

 

What are the symptoms of measles?

• Fever, 38.3°C (100.9 ℉) or above

• Respiratory symptoms

  •  Coryza (inflamed upper respiratory tract)

  •  Cough

• Conjunctivis (red eye)

• Koplik spots (small, white spots on the inside of the cheeks before skin rash appears)

• Skin rash from face to extremities

• Acute postinfectious encephalitis (1/1,000 cases)

• Bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infection

 

What are other complications from getting measles?

• Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis– SSPE (a type of dementia)

Are there treatments for Measles?

• There are no approved drugs against measles.  

• Supportive care includes rest, hydration, and fever management. 

 

How to prevent Measles in children?

• The MMR vaccine is recommended in the US. This vaccine covers three viral diseases including measles, mumps and rubella.