What are the symptoms of measles? Measles symptoms invariably include fever, together with at least one of the three Cs (cough, coryza, conjunctivitis). Symptoms will appear about 9-11 days after infection, and may include the following: Coryza - runny nose. Dry hacking cough. Conjunctivitis - swollen eyelids, inflamed eyes. Watery eyes. Photophobia - sensitivity to light. Sneezing. Fever - this may be mild to severe and can reach 105F (40.6C) for a number of days. Fever may drop, and then rise again when the rash appears. Kopliks spots - very small grayish-white spots with bluish-white centers in the mouth, insides of cheeks, and throat. Aches generally all over the body. Rash - 3 to 4 days after initial symptoms a reddish-brown spotty rash appears. The rash can last for over a week. It usually starts behind the ears and spreads all over the head and neck. After a couple of days it spreads to the rest of the body, including the legs. As the little spots grow many of them will join together. Although the majority of childhood rashes are not measles, you should take your child to the doctor if: You suspect it could be measles. Symptoms do not improve, or get worse. The fever rises to above 38C (100F). When the symptoms have gone, but the fever hasnt. ------------------------------------------------------------ Measles, also known as Rubeola or morbilli, is a highly infectious illness caused by a virus - a viral infection caused by the rubeola virus. Measles is an endemic disease; meaning it is continually present in a community and many people develop resistance. If measles enters an area where the people have never been exposed the result can be devastating. A measles outbreak in 1592 in the island of Cuba killed approximately two-thirds of the native population who had previously survived smallpox. A couple of years later half the indigenous population of Honduras died. Over the last 150 years, estimates place the total global measles death toll at 200 million people. One fifth of Hawaiis population died in the 1850s from measles. Scientists have identified 21 different strains of the measles virus.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 22:01:00 +0000
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