Measles

Measles is a highly infectious disease. The incubation period (the time from contact with someone with the illness to the first signs of developing the disease) is usually 10 -11 days, though may be as long as three weeks.

Cases of measles in England and Wales

Cases reported to the WHO per country per year

Incubation period

10-21 days

Symptoms

Fever, Cough, Runny nose, Sticky eyes (conjunctivitis), Rash

Possible complications

Pneumonia, Ear infections, Seizures, Encephalitis, SSPE, Death

About Measles

Measles is a highly infectious acute respiratory illness that’s characterised by a high temperature, general feelings of being unwell, a cough, sticky eyes and a rash that spreads from the head to body to arms and legs.

The incubation period (the time from contact with someone with the illness to the first signs of developing the disease) is usually 10 -11 days, though may be as long as three weeks.

Spending more than 15 minutes with someone who has measles is usually enough time for the virus to be transmitted if you haven’t been vaccinated.

Measles symptoms

Measles usually begins with a fever, cough, runny nose and a general feeling of being unwell, as well as sticky eyes (conjunctivitis). Around 14 days after being first exposed to the illness, a rash begins to spread from the head to the body and out to the arms and legs. Some people also develop small white spots on the inside of their cheeks and lips.

People with measles are usually considered to be contagious for four days before and four days after the rash appears. Sometimes, people who are immunocompromised will not develop the rash but can still become very unwell.

Possible complications

The large majority of children with measles are unwell for a week or so, following which they make a swift and full recovery. However, complications, occasionally severe, can occur.

As the research linked to above shows, pneumonia (or another chest infection) occurs in one in 26 children, while one in 40 children will suffer an ear infection (otitis media). Both these can usually be successfully treated with antibiotics.

Approximately one in 500 children will experience a febrile convulsion (seizure) as a result of having a fever. The measles virus infects the brain (encephalitis) in one in 1,000 cases; of these, one in seven will die.

Complications are more likely to occur in children under one year of age and in adults, especially during pregnancy. This virus can be especially dangerous for unborn babies.

SSPE (Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis) is, thankfully, very rare as it is a terrible disease in which the measles virus infects the brain. Instead of causing normal encephalitis, a slow insidious disease develops, resulting in death within one to three years for the majority of people with the infection. This probably occurs in one in every 200,000 cases.

Children do die from measles but this is rare in the UK, especially in healthy, well-nourished youngsters.

Measles FAQs

Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected.

During the early 20th century, measles was a common childhood illness from which around 10,000 children died every year in the UK.

Advances in healthcare helped to improve treatment of the illness, particularly of more serious side effects, reducing the number of fatalities to less than 100 deaths per year by the mid-20th century. This was before the introduction of the measles vaccine.

These days, cases of measles are rare in countries where there is widespread vaccination, although millions of cases do still occur worldwide each year, mainly where there are gaps in vaccine coverage.

FIND OUT EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MEASLES VACCINATION HERE

In the UK, doctors are required to report all suspected measles cases as soon as possible to their local Health Protection Team. If you or your child may have measles, you will be asked to complete an oral swab that is sent to a laboratory for testing.

Because measles is a virus, there is no specific medical treatment. To help manage the symptoms:

  • Give the person with measles plenty of fluids
  • Encourage extra rest
  • Give a non-aspirin fever medicine, such as ibuprofen. Never give aspirin to a child who has a viral illness, as such use is linked to Reye syndrome.

Individual advice about protecting your child against measles

Need advice about whether your child should have the measles vaccine? The BabyJabs team is here to listen and answer your questions to help you decide.