Measles (aka morbilli, rubeola) is a highly contagious infection caused by the measles virus.

• Sx develop 10-12 days after exposure
• Initially:
  • Fever (often >40 degrees C)
  • Cough
  • Runny nose
  • Red eyes
• 2-3 days after Sx, Koplik's spots (small white spots inside the mouth)

Source: ATSU

• 3-5 days after Sx, red flat rash which usually starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body

Source: ABC

• Sx will last 7-10 days

• Airbone disease which spreads easily through the coughs and sneezes of those infected, affecting 90% who aren't immune who share a living space with an infected person. Can also be spread through contact with saliva or nasal secretions

Occur in about 30%, and include:

• Diarrhea
• Blindness
• Inflammation of the brain
• Pneumonia

• Testing for the virus in suspected cases, is important for public health efforts

Morbilliform rash is a rash that looks like measles. It consists of macular lesions that are red, and usually 2-10mm in diameter, but may be confluent. It suggests:

• Measles, of course
• Kawasaki disease
• Meningococcal petechiae
• Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome
• Dengue
• Congenital syphilis
• Rubella
• Echovirus 9
• Drug hypersensitivity reactions, in particular with certain classes of antiretroviral drugs, e.g. abacavir and nevirapine, and also the AED phenytoin

• Advise infectiousness, including from 4 days before to 4 days after the start of the rash
• Prevention, with measles vaccine. Vaccination has resulted in a 75% decrease in deaths. 85% of kids globally are currently vaccinated
• No specific Tx is available
• Supportive care may improve outcomes, including:
  • Giving oral rehydration solution (slightly sweet and salty fluids)
  • Healthy foods
  • Medications to help with the fever
• If pneumonia occurs, antibiotics
• Vitamin A supplementation is also recommended in the developing world

Patient information

What can you do about a contagious infection by the measles virus?
The best treatment is prevention, which can be done with the measles vaccine, which is usually given as the MMR vaccine, which combines both measles, mumps and rubella, into a 3-in-1. Buy 1 get 2 free .

Alright, but anything you can do to FIX measles once you have it?
Like the chicken pox, not really. So you can ensure bub is eating and drinking, and drugs can help with the fever. If there is a lung infection, antibiotics might help. In the developing world, vitamin A can also help, because it decreases the risk of blindness.

• Pt's usually only get the disease at most once

• Measles affects 20 million per year
• Measles primarily occurs in developing areas of Africa and Asia
• Causes the most vaccine-preventable deaths of any disease
• Measles results in 96k deaths per year
• Most of those infected and die, are <5yo
• Risk of death among those infected is 0.2%, but can be up to 10% in those who have malnutrition
• Notifiable disease

• Scarlet fever
• Rubella (do not confuse with rubeola)
• Duke's disease
• Fifth disease
• Roseola infantum