Who is infected with measles

Measles Rubeola. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Transmission of Measles. Minus Related Pages. The measles vaccine also can help protect unvaccinated people from getting sick after exposure to measles if they get it within 3 days. Call the doctor right away if you think that your child has measles.

Also call if your child was around someone who has measles, especially if your child:. Reviewed by: Michelle P. Tellado, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Measles? Is Measles Contagious? How Do People Get Measles? How Is Measles Treated? There is no specific medical treatment for measles.

To help manage symptoms: give your child plenty of fluids encourage extra rest give a non-aspirin fever medicine, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen if a fever makes your child uncomfortable. Never give aspirin to a child who has a viral illness, as such use is linked to Reye syndrome.

In some cases, measles can lead to other problems, such as: ear infections croup diarrhea pneumonia encephalitis irritation and swelling of the brain Children with measles should be kept away from others for 4 days after their rash appears. In , a now-discredited study was published incorrectly linking autism to the measles-mumps-rubella MMR vaccine. In , there were nearly 1, lab-confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Measles Open pop-up dialog box Close. Measles Measles causes a red, blotchy rash that usually appears first on the face and behind the ears, then spreads downward to the chest and back and finally to the feet.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Goodson JL, et al. Measles 50 years after use of measles vaccine. Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. Goldman L, et al. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa. Accessed March 2, Gans H, et al. If others breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected.

Infected people can spread measles to others from four days before through four days after the rash appears. Measles can be serious:. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC , more than 1, individual cases of measles were confirmed in in 31 states—the largest number of cases since measles was eliminated in the US in Symptoms include rash, cough, runny nose, eye irritation, and fever.

Children with measles often feel miserable and may miss school, with loss of appetite, diarrhea, and sensitivity to any light.

The rash usually appears about 14 days after a person is exposed. The rash spreads from the head to the trunk to the lower extremities.