Measles (Rubeola) - Topic Overview

Topic Overview

What is measles?

Measles is a very contagious infection that causes a rash all over your body. It is also called rubeola or red measles. It is very rare in the United States because most children get the vaccine as part of their regular childhood shots.

What causes measles?

Measles is caused by a virus. It is spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or shares food or drinks. The measles virus can travel through the air. This means that you can get measles if you are near someone who has the virus even if that person doesn't cough or sneeze directly on you.

You can spread the virus to others from 4 days before the rash starts until 4 days after the rash appeared. The virus is most often spread when people first get sick—before they know they have it.

What are the symptoms?

The first symptoms of measles are like a bad cold—a high fever, a runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, and a hacking cough. The lymph nodes in your neck may swell. You also may feel very tired and have diarrhea and red, sore eyes. As these symptoms start to go away, you will get red spots inside your mouth, followed by a rash all over your body.

When adults get measles, they usually feel worse than children who get it.

It usually takes 8 to 12 days to get symptoms after you have been around someone who has measles. This is called the incubation period.

How is measles diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and examine you. This usually gives the doctor enough information to find out if you have measles. Your doctor may also do a blood test to check for the measles virus.

If you think you have measles, it is important to call your doctor so he or she can report the illness to the local health department.

How is it treated?

Measles usually gets better on its own. Most people can treat their symptoms at home. Home treatment includes taking medicines to lower your fever. Get plenty of rest, and drink lots of fluids.

Most people get better within 2 weeks.

Can measles be prevented?

The measles vaccine protects against the virus. The vaccine is usually given during childhood with the mumps and rubella (German measles) vaccines (MMR) or with the mumps, rubella, and chickenpox (varicella) vaccines (MMRV).

Some parents are afraid to give their child the MMR vaccine because they have heard that it can cause autism. But researchers have done many large studies and have found no connection between the MMR vaccine and autism.¹

Getting your child vaccinated is important, because measles can sometimes cause serious problems such as pneumonia. And in rare cases, it can even cause seizures or meningitis.

If you have been exposed to measles and you have not had the vaccine, you may be able to prevent the infection by getting a shot of immune globulin (IG) right away. Babies who are younger than 12 months, pregnant women, and people who have impaired immune systems that cannot fight infection may need to get immune globulin if they are exposed to measles.

If you have had measles, you can't get it again. Most people born before 1956 have had measles.

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