Measles is in the News; Here’s Information Your Need to Know About the Virus

A respiratory virus, measles can cause serious health complications, especially for children younger than 5, adults older than 20, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems.

According to a March 20 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been a total of 378 confirmed cases of measles. The cases have been reported by 18 jurisdictions, including Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and Washington.

Last year, measles was in the news in Florida when children in Broward and Polk counties contracted the virus. At the time, our epidemiology and infection prevention team at Lee Health shared important information about measles. With measles in the news again, we wanted to educate the community about this highly contagious vaccine-preventable virus.

Measles Signs and Symptoms

One to two weeks after exposure to the virus, symptoms, including fever, cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis (pink eye) typically appear. Two to three days after symptoms begin, white spots may appear inside the mouth, and a rash breaks out three to five days after symptoms begin. The rash usually starts on the face, at the hairline, and spreads down the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.

Complications of Measles

Diarrhea and ear infections are common complications of measles, and pneumonia, encephalitis or even death are complications for those at higher risk (children younger than 5, adults older than 20, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems). Premature birth or giving birth to a low-weight baby are risks for pregnant women who contract the virus without having gotten the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Another rare, but very serious complication of measles is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSEP). A disease of the central nervous system, SSEP results from a measles infection acquired earlier in life, developing seven to 10 years after a person has measles. The CDC reports that the risk of developing SSEP may be higher for a person who gets measles before the age of 2.

Protect Yourself and Your Family with Vaccination

“Measles is a serious virus, and we want to share all this information, especially to educate parents of the complications and consequences,” explains Mary Beth Saunders, D.O., Lee Health system medical director, Epidemiology. “The best protection against measles is the MMR vaccine, and two doses are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles.”

Talk to your doctor if you have questions about whether you have received the MMR vaccine. If you have children, talk to their pediatrician to ensure they get the right disease for the best protection.

Understand How Measles Spreads

A respiratory virus, measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. An infected person can spread the virus even before they know they have it—from four days before developing a rash up to four days after the rash develops. The virus also can live for up to two hours in a space, so someone can contract measles even when the infected person has left a room.

If you think you, your child or someone in your family has been exposed to measles, call your doctor immediately.