Measles is a very contagious disease caused by the measles virus.

Measles remains a common disease in many parts of the world, including areas in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. In the United States, cases are rare and most result from international travel. In areas with vaccination rate below 95%, outbreaks can occur.

The measles virus spreads easily from person to person. It is an airborne disease, and is spread by droplets from sneezing and coughing. It can also live on surfaces. If a person touches an infected surface then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth, they can become infected. The measles virus can live for up to two hours in the air and on surfaces, and is so contagious that 9 out of 10 unvaccinated people close to an infected person will also become infected with measles.

The first symptoms include mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and sore throat. Two to three days after symptoms begin; tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin; a red or reddish-brown rash that begins on the hairline and spreads down appears. When the rash appears, the person's fever may spike to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Common complications of measles include ear infections, pneumonia, croup, and diarrhea. After exposure, symptoms usually appear in 7 to 14 days.

Someone with measles is contagious from 4 days before to 4 days after rash appears, and should be isolated at home to prevent the spread of disease. On average, one infected person can spread measles to 12 to 18 unvaccinated people.

While most people recover from the disease with no ill effects, measles is fatal for 1-3 per 1,000 people. In addition:

• 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the US who get measles is hospitalized.
• As many as 1 out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children.
• About 1 child out of every 1,000 who get measles will develop encephalitis (inflammation and swelling of the brain). This can lead to convulsions and leave the child deaf or with intellectual disability.
• Measles can cause other rare, long-term effects that may not be evident for years after the infection.

Measles is caused by a virus, so antibiotics do not work. There is no specific antiviral treatment for measles. Care focuses on relieving symptoms, making the person comfortable, and preventing and managing complications, such as bacterial infections.

The best defense against measles is the MMR vaccine. When more than 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, most people are protected because there are fewer opportunities for the virus to spread. This is called “community immunity” or “herd immunity".

• The first MMR dose is recommended at age 12-15 months.
• The second MMR dose is recommended at age 4-6 years.
• People born before 1957 are considered immune.
• People born in 1957 or later who have not had the disease or any MMR vaccine should be vaccinated.

Unfortunately no. People who are pregnant, who have weakened immune systems, are under 6 months old, or who have had a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis to the vaccine should not receive the MMR vaccine.

One dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective. Even if a vaccinated person gets the disease, their illness will be much less severe, and they are less likely to spread the virus.

There have been no deaths shown to be related to the MMR vaccine in healthy people. There have been rare cases of deaths from vaccine side effects among children who are immune compromised, which is why it is recommended that they don't get the vaccine.

There is no evidence that the MMR vaccine causes autism, but there is a great deal of evidence that shows it does not cause autism. Many studies have found there is no connection between the two, including research that tracked more than 650,000 Danish children and found the MMR vaccine does not increase the risk for autism, does not trigger autism in susceptible children and is not associated with clustering of autism cases after vaccination.

For more information about vaccine safety, visit Vaccine Fears Overturned by Facts

Vitamin A does not prevent or cure measles. Vitamin A may be prescribed by a medical provider to prevent worsening of symptoms in individuals who are sick with measles. Excessive doses of Vitamin A build up in the body and can cause serious health problems in adults and children. Please do not give Vitamin A to children unless supervised by a physician.

Immediately call your healthcare provider or local health department before seeking care - measles can spread very easily to others if proper precautions are not taken.

If the exposure is caught soon enough, there may be ways to prevent the disease or lessen the severity. Consult with your healthcare provider or local health department to determine if post-exposure prophylaxis is recommended.