Measles is a highly contagious childhood disease caused by a virus. It spreads through the air via coughs or sneezes, or by touching contaminated surfaces. Symptoms include a high fever and red rash. Complications can include ear infections, pneumonia, and encephalitis in rare cases. The disease is preventable through vaccination with the MMR vaccine, which provides 97% protection. Treatment focuses on relieving symptoms through rest, fluids, and fever reducers.

1. Name – Alok Kumar
Grp – 09
Sem – 09 IK
Topic – Measles

2. Definition
 Measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus. Once quite common, measles
can now almost always be prevented with a vaccine.
 Also called rubeola, measles spreads easily and can be serious and even fatal for
small children. While death rates have been falling worldwide as more children
receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 200,000 people a
year, mostly children.

3. Symptoms
 Cold-like symptoms
 The first symptoms of measles include:
 a high temperature
 a runny or blocked nose
 sneezing
 a cough
 red, sore, watery eyes
 Sore throat

4.  Spots in the mouth
 Small white spots may appear inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips a few days later.
These spots usually last a few days.

5. The Measles Rash
 The rash usually appears a few days after the cold-like symptoms.
 The rash starts on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.

6.  The spots of the measles rash are sometimes raised and join together to form blotchy patches.
They're not usually itchy.

7.  The rash looks brown or red on white skin. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin.

8. The infection occurs in stages over 2 to 3
weeks.
 Infection and incubation. For the first 10 to 14 days after infection, the measles virus spreads in the body.
There are no signs or symptoms of measles during this time.
 Nonspecific signs and symptoms. Measles typically begins with a mild to moderate fever, often with a
persistent cough, a runny nose, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) and a sore throat. This relatively mild illness
may last 2 to 3 days.
 Acute illness and rash. The rash is made up of small red spots, some of which are slightly raised. Spots
and bumps in tight clusters give the skin a splotchy red appearance. The face breaks out first.
 Over the next few days, the rash spreads down the arms, chest and back, then over the thighs, lower legs
and feet. At the same time, the fever rises sharply, often as high as 104 to 105.8 F (40 to 41 C).
 Recovery. The measles rash may last about seven days. The rash gradually fades first from the face and
last from the thighs and feet. As other symptoms of the illness go away, the cough and darkening or
peeling of the skin where the rash was may stay for about 10 days.

9. When can a person spread the measles virus?
 A person with measles can spread the virus to others for about eight days,
starting four days before the rash appears and ending when the rash has been
present for four days.

10. Causes
 Measles is a highly contagious illness. This means it's very easily spread to others. Measles is
caused by a virus found in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult. When someone with
measles coughs, sneezes or talks, infectious droplets spray into the air, where other people can
breathe them in. The infectious droplets can hang in the air for about an hour.
 The infectious droplets may also land on a surface, where they can live and spread for several hours.
You can get the measles virus by putting your fingers in your mouth or nose or rubbing your eyes
after touching the infected surface.
 Measles is highly contagious from about four days before to four days after the rash appears. About
90% of people who haven't had measles or been vaccinated against measles will become infected
when exposed to someone with the measles virus

11. Risk factors
 Risk factors for measles include:
 Being unvaccinated. If you haven't had the measles vaccine, you're much more likely to get
measles.
 Traveling internationally. If you travel to countries where measles is more common, you're at
higher risk of catching measles.
 Having a vitamin A deficiency. If you don't have enough vitamin A in your diet, you're more likely
to have more-severe symptoms and complications of measles.

12. Complications
 Complications of measles may include:
 Diarrhea and vomiting. Diarrhea and vomiting can result in losing too much water from the body
(dehydration).
 Ear infection. One of the most common complications of measles is a bacterial ear infection.
 Bronchitis, laryngitis or croup. Measles may lead to irritation and swelling (inflammation) of the
airways (croup). It can also lead to inflammation of the inner walls that line the main air passageways
of the lungs (bronchitis). Measles can also cause inflammation of the voice box (laryngitis).

13.  Pneumonia. Measles can commonly cause an infection in the lungs (pneumonia).
People with weakened immune systems can develop an especially dangerous
type of pneumonia that sometimes can lead to death.
 Encephalitis. About 1 in 1,000 people with measles can develop a complication
called encephalitis. Encephalitis is irritation and swelling (inflammation) of the
brain. The condition can be especially dangerous for people with weakened
immune systems. Encephalitis may occur right after measles, or it might not occur
until months later. Encephalitis can cause permanent brain damage.
 Pregnancy problems. If you're pregnant, you need to take special care to avoid
measles because the disease can cause premature birth, low birth weight and
fetal death.

14. Prevention
 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children and adults receive the
measles vaccine to prevent measles.
 Measles vaccine in children
 The measles vaccine is usually given as a combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. This vaccine may
also include the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine — MMRV vaccine. Health care providers recommend that children
receive the MMR vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age, and again between 4 and 6 years of age — before
entering school.
 The MMR vaccine's two doses are 97% effective in preventing measles and protecting against it for life. In the small
number of people who get measles after being vaccinated, the symptoms are generally mild.
 Keep in mind:
 If you'll be traveling internationally outside the U.S. when your child is 6 to 11 months old, talk with your child's health
care provider about getting the measles vaccine earlier.
 If your child or teenager didn't get the two doses of the vaccine at the recommended times, your child may need two
doses of the vaccine four weeks apart.

15.  Babies born to women who have received the vaccine or who are already immune because they
had measles are usually protected from measles for about 6 months after birth. If a child requires
protection from measles before 12 months of age — for example, for foreign travel — the vaccine
can be given as early as 6 months of age. But children who are vaccinated early still need to be
vaccinated at the recommended ages later.
 Providing a child with the MMR vaccine as a combination of recommended vaccines can prevent
a child's delay in protection against infection from measles, mumps and rubella — and with fewer
shots. The combination vaccine is as safe and effective as the vaccines given separately. Side
effects are generally mild and may include a sore arm where the shot was given and fever.

16.  Measles vaccine in adults
 You may need the measles vaccine if you're an adult who does not have proof of immunity
and:
 Has an increased risk of measles, such as attending college, traveling internationally outside
the U.S. or working in a hospital environment.
 Was born in 1957 or later. If you've already had measles, your body has built up its immune
system to fight the infection, and you can't get measles again. Most people born or living in the
U.S. before 1957 are immune to measles, simply because they've already had it.

17.  Preventing measles during an outbreak or known infection
 If someone in your household has measles, take these precautions to protect family and friends
without immunity:
 Isolate. Because measles is highly contagious from about four days before to four days after the
rash appears, people with measles should stay home and not return to activities where they
interact with other people during this period.
 People who aren't vaccinated — siblings, for example — should also stay away from the infected
person.
 Vaccinate. Be sure that anyone who's at risk of getting measles who hasn't been fully vaccinated
receives the measles vaccine as soon as possible. This includes infants older than 6 months and
anyone born in 1957 or later who doesn't have proof of immunity.

18. Diagnosis
 Your health care provider can usually diagnose measles based on the disease's
characteristic rash as well as a small, bluish-white spot on a bright red background —
Koplik's spot — on the inside lining of the cheek. Your provider may ask about whether
you or your child has received measles vaccines, whether you have traveled
internationally outside of the U.S. recently, and if you've had contact with anyone who has
a rash or fever.
 However, many providers have never seen measles. The rash can be confused with many other
illnesses, too. If necessary, a blood test can confirm whether the rash is measles. The measles virus
can also be confirmed with a test that generally uses a throat swab or urine sample.

19. Treatment
 There's no specific treatment for a measles infection once it occurs. Treatment includes providing
comfort measures to relieve symptoms, such as rest, and treating or preventing complications.
 However, some measures can be taken to protect individuals who don't have immunity to measles
after they've been exposed to the virus.
 Post-exposure vaccination. People without immunity to measles, including infants, may be given
the measles vaccine within 72 hours of exposure to the measles virus to provide protection against
it. If measles still develops, it usually has milder symptoms and lasts for a shorter time.

20.  Immune serum globulin. Pregnant women, infants and people with weakened
immune systems who are exposed to the virus may receive an injection of
proteins (antibodies) called immune serum globulin. When given within six days of
exposure to the virus, these antibodies can prevent measles or make symptoms
less severe.

21. Medications
 Treatment for a measles infection may include:
 Fever reducers. If a fever is making you or your child uncomfortable, you can use over-the-
counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB,
Children's Motrin, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) to help bring down the fever that
accompanies measles. Read the labels carefully or ask your health care provider or pharmacist
about the appropriate dose.
 Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in
children older than age 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms
should never take aspirin. This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but
potentially life-threatening condition, in such children.

22.  Antibiotics. If a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia or an ear infection, develops while you
or your child has measles, your health care provider may prescribe an antibiotic.
 Vitamin A. Children with low levels of vitamin A are more likely to have a more severe case of
measles. Giving a child vitamin A may lessen the severity of measles infection. It's generally
given as a large dose of 200,000 international units (IU) for children older than a year. Smaller
doses may be given to younger children.

23. Lifestyle and home remedies
 If you or your child has measles, keep in touch with your health care provider as
you monitor the progress of the disease and watch for complications. Also try
these comfort measures:
 Take it easy. Get rest and avoid busy activities.
 Drink plenty of fluids. Drink plenty of water, fruit juice and herbal tea to replace
fluids lost by fever and sweating. If needed, you can buy rehydration solutions
without a prescription. These solutions contain water and salts in specific
proportions to replace both fluids and electrolytes.

24.  Moisten the air. Use a humidifier to relieve a cough and sore throat. Adding
moisture to the air can help ease discomfort. Choose a cool-mist humidifier and
clean it daily because bacteria and molds can flourish in some humidifiers.
 Moisten your nose. Saline nasal sprays can soothe irritation by keeping the
inside of the nose moist.
 Rest your eyes. If you or your child finds bright light irritating, as do many people
with measles, keep the lights low or wear sunglasses. Also avoid reading or
watching television if light from a reading lamp or from the television is
bothersome.

25. THANK YOU !