Measles...????

Question

What are measle what do they look like what are the symptoms

Answer 1

The thought of measles may bring to mind the red, blotchy rash that often accompanies this disorder. But the rash is just an outward sign of the more worrisome changes happening inside the body. Measles is primarily a respiratory infection caused by a highly contagious virus found all over the world.

Also called rubeola, measles can be serious and even fatal for small children.Usually signs and symptoms of measles appear 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus. They typically include:

Fever
Dry cough
Runny nose
Inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis)
Sensitivity to light
Tiny red spots with bluish-white centers on the inner lining of the cheek, called Koplik's spots
A rash made up of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another
The course of the measles virus
Measles typically begins with a mild to moderate fever, accompanied by other signs and symptoms, such as a persistent cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) and sore throat. Two or three days later, Koplik's spots — a characteristic sign of measles — appear. Then a fever spikes, often as high as 104 or 105 F. At the same time, a red blotchy rash surfaces, usually on the face, along the hairline and behind the ears. This slightly itchy rash rapidly spreads downward to the chest and back and, finally, to the thighs and feet. After about a week, the rash fades in the same sequence that it appeared.

Answer 2

What is measles?
Measles is an acute, highly contagious viral disease capable of producing epidemics. Since the introduction of the measles vaccination in 1963, the number of measles cases has decreased to about 100 cases reported annually in the United States.

Who gets measles?
Although measles is usually considered a childhood disease, it can be contracted at any age. The majority of cases are now imported from other countries or linked to imported cases. Unvaccinated individuals are 22 times more likely to get measles than are who those who have two measles vaccines, usually given as measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR).

How is measles spread?
Measles is spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected people or, less frequently, by airborne transmission. Measles is one of the most readily transmitted communicable diseases.

What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles symptoms generally appear in two stages. In the first stage, the individual may have a runny nose, cough and a slight fever. The eyes may become reddened and sensitive to light while the fever consistently rises each day. The second stage begins on the third to seventh day and consists of a temperature of 103-105 degrees Fahrenheit and a red blotchy rash lasting four to seven days. The rash usually begins on the face and then spreads over the entire body. Koplik spots (little white spots) may also appear on the gums and inside of the cheeks.

How soon do symptoms appear?
Symptoms usually appear in 10-12 days, although they may occur as early as seven or as late as 21 days after exposure.

Answer 3

WHAT ARE MEASLE:

Since measles is caused by a virus, symptoms typically go away on their own without medical treatment once the virus has run its course. But while your child is sick, it's important to make sure that he or she has plenty of fluids and rest, and to keep your child from spreading the infection to others. If you have any concerns about your child's condition, talk to your child's doctor.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:

While measles is probably best known for the full-body rash that it causes, the first symptoms of the infection are usually a hacking cough, runny nose, high fever, and watery red eyes. Another marker of measles are Koplik's spots, small red spots with blue-white centers that appear inside the mouth.

The measles rash typically has a red or reddish brown blotchy appearance, and first usually shows up on the forehead, then spreads downward over the face, neck, and body, then down to the feet.

Measles is highly contagious. When someone with measles sneezes or coughs, he or she can spread virus droplets through the air and infect others.

Measles is very rare in the United States. Due to widespread immunizations, the number of U.S. measles cases has steadily declined in the last 50 years. There were thousands of cases of the measles in 1950, but in 2002 there were just 44. Most of the time, the cases occur in settings where there are lots of kids, some of whom haven't gotten vaccinated or whose immunity has diminished since they got the vaccine.

The most important thing you can do to protect your child from measles is to have him or her vaccinated according to the schedule prescribed by your child's doctor.