Measles

... keeping your child safe

What is measles?

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection, caused by a paramyxovirus.It used to be a very common illness in the UK, but the numbers of children affected was reduced by immunisation.

However, after widespread but misguided public concern surrounding the safety of MMR vaccine, the number of measle cases is starting to rise again.

How is measles spread?

Anybody that has not had measles or been immunised against it, can be infected.

The measles virus is highly contagious - about 90 per cent of non-immunised people will develop it if they live in the same house as someone with measles. It is spread by droplets in the air, which are breathed out through the nose and mouth, when sneezing and coughing. It can also be spread through contact with nasal or oral secretions from someone with measles.

Once a child has been in contact with the virus, it can take up to two weeks for the symptoms to appear. This is called the ‘incubation period’. Your child is infectious from four days before the rash appears until five days afterwards.

Measles can be dangerous to the unborn child so your child should stay away from pregnant women who have not had measles while he or she is infectious. If your child does come into contact with a pregnant woman who has not had measles, she should visit her GP immediately.

Can measles be prevented?

The most effective way of preventing measles is through the MMR immunisation. Most children in the UK receive the MMR immunisation, usually at about 14 months old and then in a booster at four or five years old.

How is measles diagnosed?

The rash associated with measles is very distinctive, so it should be diagnosed easily. As each case of measles needs to be reported to the Health Protection Agency, you should see your GP to confirm the diagnosis. Please telephone the surgery to warn them your child might have measles as they may have a separate waiting area for people with infectious diseases.

What are the symptoms of measles?

The first symptoms of measles are a feeling of being generally unwell, a runny nose, hacking cough, and red eyes, with a temperature as high as 40.6°C, and aches and pains. Children may also complain that bright light hurts their eyes. One identifying sign of measles is Koplik’s spots, which are small, red, irregularly-shaped spots with blue or white centres, which usually appear inside the mouth one to two days before the measles rash. A few days afterwards, the measles rash appears, usually on the head and neck first, and then spreading to cover all the body. It takes about three days for the rash to make its way down to the feet. The rash starts as small red spots, but these join together to make larger, flat patches of red or brown. The large, flat red or brown patches often flow into one another and completely cover the skin. The total amount of time for the rash from beginning to end is usually about six days.

How is measles treated?

There is no treatment for the virus itself, only its symptoms. Antibiotics will not treat measles, and so should only be used if an eye, ear or respiratory tract infection develops as a complication.

As children can quickly become dehydrated, it is vital your child drinks plenty of fluids. As long as your child is drinking, it does not matter if he or she does not feel like eating for a couple of days.

What is the outlook for children with measles?

Although the vast majority of children recover quickly from measles with no lasting effects, a small number will experience complications like encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), pneumonia, croup, bronchiolitis and hepatitis. The more severe complications are very rare; for instance, encephalitis affects one in 1000 patients with measles. However, up to 1 in 20 patients may develop either otitis media or pneumonia. A very rare degenerative disease affecting the nervous system (SSPE) may develop years after the original infection. This is due to the persistence of the measles virus in the brain.