Measles

Measles can also be called rubeola. Measles is an infectious viral disease that occurs most often in the late winter and spring.

Because Measles is primarily a respiratory infection, its symptoms would include fever cough, runny nose, and conjunctivitis and a spreading rash.  It is possible to get serious complications from this disease.

This disease has an incubation period of about 9 to 11 days between exposure and prodromal symptoms, or about 2 weeks between exposure and the appearance of a rash.

It can usually lasts about 10 to 14 days. This is measured from the beginning of the prodromal symptoms to the fading of the rash.  The more prodromal symptoms disappear 1 or 2 days after the rash begins, except for the cough, which may last as long as the rash.

Measles Transmission

Measles resides in the mucus in the nose and throat of the infected person. When the sufferer sneezes or coughs, tiny droplets spray into the air. These droplets then remain active and contagious on the infected surfaces for up to two hours.

It is because of this that this disease happens to be a highly contagious. About 90% of non-immunized persons will develop measles if they live in the same house as someone who has the disease. People with measles are usually contagious from about 5 days after exposure to about 5 days after the rash appears.

Measles Complications

The complications that can occur are very dangerous.

These complications could include: croup, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, diarrhoea, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, myocarditis, hepatitis, and encephalitis.  Measles can also make the body more susceptible to ear infections or pneumonias caused by bacteria.  It is found that symptoms and complications of this disease are usually most severe in adults.

Measles can be severe, with bronchopneumonia or brain inflammation (encephalitis) and other complications leading to death in approximately 2 of every 1,000 (0.2%) cases in developed countries.  In the developing world, fatality rates are much higher and often exceed 150 deaths per 1,000 cases (15%).

• Measles symptoms
  measles symptoms usually begins with a high fever
  
  
• Treatment for measles
  treatment for measles is not possible by using antibiotics
  
  
• Prevention of measles
  prevention of measles is possible with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine