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Symptoms can appear 7 to 18 days after exposure to the measles virus. But before you even
know you are sick, you can spread the measles to others.
Initial symptoms include:
fever
cough
runny nose
red eyes
sleepiness
irritability (feeling cranky or in a bad mood)
Small, white spots may appear inside the mouth and throat. These are called Koplik spots.
About 3 to 7 days after symptoms begin, a red blotchy rash develops on the face and spreads
down the body. The rash can last 4 to 7 days.
Complications can include:
ear infections
blindness
pneumonia (lung infection)
encephalitis (swelling of the brain), which can cause seizures, brain damage or death
premature labour, miscarriage and low birth weight if contracted during pregnancy
Contagious period
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases. You can spread measles to others from 4 days
before the rash starts until 4 days after the rash appears. The virus is highly contagious and is
most often spread when people first get sick or before they know they have measles.
blood test
lab test of your urine
nasopharyngeal (back of the nose and throat) swab
Measles treatment
There is no cure for the measles virus. The treatment is meant to relieve symptoms and to
prevent severe complications.
If you have measles, you should avoid contact with others as much as possible. This will help to
limit the spread of the virus to other people.
Your healthcare provider will likely:
ask that you stay at home until 4 days after the rash first appears unless your symptoms
worsen
give you medication (like pain relievers) to reduce your fever
tell you to drink plenty of fluids, eat healthy foods and get lots of rest
What is measles?
Measles is a viral disease that can spread rapidly.
It is an unpleasant condition but one that normally passes without treatment within 7
to 10 days.
After a bout of measles, a person gains immunity for the rest of their life. They are
very unlikely to contract measles a second time.
Symptoms
The symptoms of measles always include feverand at least one of the three Cs:
cough
conjunctivitis
Symptoms will appear about 9 to 11 days after initial infection.
watery eyes
sneezing
a reddish-brown rash
Koplik's spots, or very small grayish-white spots with bluish-white centers in the
mouth, insides of cheeks, and throat
The reddish-brown rash appears around 3 to 4 days after initial symptoms. This can
last for over a week.
The rash usually starts behind the ears and spreads over the head and neck. After a
couple of days, it spreads to the rest of the body, including the legs. As the spots
grow, they often join together.
Most childhood rashes are not measles, but a child should see a doctor if:
the fever rises to above 38º Centigrade (ºC) or 100.4º Fahrenheit (ºF)
The measles vaccine is widely available and is said to have dropped global rates of measles by over 75 percent.
People most at risk are patients with a weak immune system, such as those
with HIV, AIDS, leukemia, or a vitamin deficiency, very young children, and adults
over the age of 20 years.
Older people are more likely to have complications than healthy children over the age
of 5 years.
diarrhea
vomiting
eye infection
difficulty breathing
febrile seizures
Patients with a weakened immune system who have measles are more susceptible to
bacterial pneumonia. This can be fatal if not treated.
Hepatitis: Liver complications can occur in adults and in children who are taking
some medications.
Thrombocytopenia, or low platelet count, affects the blood's ability to clot. The
patient may bruise easily.
Neuritis, an infection of the optic nerve that can lead to vision loss
Heart complications
Types
There are two types of measles:
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine contains immunizations for both
types.
Causes
Measles is caused by infection with the rubeola virus. The virus lives in the mucus of
the nose and throat of an infected child or adult.
The disease is contagious for 4 days before the rash appears, and it continues to be
contagious for about 4 to 5 days after.
touching a surface that has infected droplets of mucus and then putting fingers into
the mouth, or rubbing the nose or eyes
The virus remains active on an object for 2 hours.
The virus takes 1 to 3 weeks to establish itself, but symptoms appear between 9 and
11 days after initial infection.
Anyone who has never been infected or vaccinated is likely to become ill if they
breathe in infected droplets or are in close physical contact with an infected person.
Approximately 90 percent of people who are not immune will develop measles if they
share a house with an infected person.
Treatment
Measles gives people a fever.
If the child's temperature is high, they should be kept cool, but not too cold. Tylenol
or ibuprofen can help control fever, aches, and pains. Children under 16 years
should not take aspirin. A doctor will advise about acetaminophen dosage, as too
much can harm the child, especially the liver. There is an excellent selection online if
you want to buy Tylenol or ibuprofen.
Sunglasses, keeping the lights dim or the room darkened may enhance comfort
levels, as measles increases sensitivity to light.
If there is crustiness around the eyes, gently clean with a warm, damp cloth.
Cough medicines will not relieve a measles cough. Humidifiers or placing a bowl of
water in the room may help. If the child is over 12 months, a glass of warm water
with a teaspoon of lemon juice and two teaspoons of honey may help. Do not give
honey to infants.
A fever can lead to dehydration, so the child should drink plenty of fluids.
A child who is in the contagious stage should stay away from school and avoid close
contact with others, especially those who are not immunized or have never had
measles.
Those with a vitamin A deficiency and children under 2 years who have measles
may benefit from vitamin A supplements. These can help prevent complications,
but they should only be taken with a doctor's agreement. If you want to buy vitamin
A supplements, then there is an excellent selection online with thousands of
customer reviews.
Antibiotics will not help against the measles virus, but they may sometimes be
prescribed if an additional bacterial infection develops.
Diagnosis
A doctor can normally diagnose measles by looking at the signs and symptoms. A
blood test will confirm the presence of the rubeola virus.
In most countries, measles is a notifiable disease. The doctor has to notify the
authorities of any suspected cases. If the patient is a child, the doctor will also notify
the school.
A child with measles should not return to school until at least 5 days after the rash
appears.
Prevention
People who have already had measles are normally immune and they are unlikely to
get it again.
People who are not immune should consider the measles vaccine.
Measles vaccination
In the United States, the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is routinely
given at 12 to 15 months of age, followed by a booster shot before entering school at
the age of 4 to 6 years.
Newborns carry their mother's immunity for a few months after birth if their mothers
are immune, but sometimes the vaccine is recommended before the age of 12 months,
and as early as 6 months.
4. Measles
ScienceDaily
GenomeWeb
GenomeWeb
3. Danish GWAS Yields Genetic Risk Loci for Vaccine-related Febrile Seizures
GenomeWeb
PulmCCM, PulmCCM
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