Measles is a highly contagious viral infection caused by an RNA paramyxovirus and spread via the respiratory route. A vaccine is currently administrated at 12 months of age in the US and thus, cases in the US result from vaccine failure, age less than 12 months, or failure to vaccinate the child.
Bacterial superinfection is the main complication although acute or subacute encephalitis may occur.
The majority of people who get measles are unvaccinated.
Measles is still common in many parts of the world including some countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa.
Travelers with measles continue to bring the disease into the U.S.
Measles can spread when it reaches a community in the U.S. where groups of people are unvaccinated.
Measles is transmitted via droplets and airborne (sneezing, coughing, breathing).
Patients are considered to be contagious from 4 days before to 4 days after the rash appears.
Consider measles when evaluating any patient who has an acute rash illness with fever (fever, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis usually beginning 2 to 4 days before the rash appears).
The measles virus can remain infectious on surfaces/air for up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves an area.
Measles vaccination is the best prevention against measles—one dose of MMR vaccine is approximately 93% effective, and the recommended two-dose vaccination is approximately 97% effective in preventing measles.
Pneumonia is the most common and may be fatal. Other potential complications include giant-cell pneumonitis and encephalitis.
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