Measles Cases On The Rise: Parents, Know These Symptoms

Measles is more than a rash and fever — it can be dangerous, even deadly, for babies and children. With cases on the rise, parents need to know the symptoms, possible complications and how to respond if there’s a local outbreak.

What Are The Symptoms Of Measles?

Measles starts with cold-like symptoms, including:

• Runny nose
• Red, inflamed eyes
• Cough
• Fever
• Tiny white spots inside the mouth
• Fatigue

A few days after the first symptoms, a red rash appears. It starts at the hairline and spreads downward. At this point, the fever often spikes. The rash typically fades after 4 to 7 days as other symptoms begin to go away.

What Are The Possible Measles Complications?

Measles can result in serious complications, including pneumonia, croup, and brain infection or inflammation.

“If measles caused just a fever and a rash, then I don’t think there would be this kind of concern,” said Erica Kaufman West, MD, infectious disease physician at Franciscan Health Dyer. “About one in 20 children who get measles will develop pneumonia.”

Pneumonia is the most common reason kids die from measles because it causes such a severe inflammatory response in the lungs. Encephalitis (brain swelling) occurs in about one in every thousand children who get measles. It can cause seizures and permanent intellectual disability.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• 1 in 5 people with a measles infection will need hospitalization
• 1 in 20 will develop pneumonia, the most common reason for a hospital stay
• 1 in 1,000 will get encephalitis

Measles can also result in death.

Learn about the measles vaccine and how it can protect your family.

What To Do If Your Child Was Exposed To Measles

If your child was exposed to measles, call your pediatrician. They will notify the local health department if that hasn’t already happened.

“Let the pediatrician know if your child has a fever and then a rash that starts at the hairline and spreads down and out,” Dr. West said. “Many physician offices do virtual appointments, so you don’t even have to go in. They can look at the rash via camera.”

If your child needs in-person care, the doctor will give you instructions on how to come to the office safely.

If your child received the MMR vaccine

For children who are vaccinated, there’s good news — the measles vaccine is highly effective.

If your child was in contact with measles but received both doses, there is a minimal chance that they will contract measles. Even if your child received only one dose of the vaccine, there is still a less than 10 percent chance they will contract the illness.

If your child hasn’t had the measles vaccine

Unvaccinated children are at high risk of infection if exposed. However, getting the MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure may help prevent illness from developing.

Vaccine guidance for unvaccinated adults

The CDC recommends that adults born after 1957 who haven’t had measles or the MMR vaccine should receive at least one dose. Some people who received an inactivated (killed) measles vaccine during 1963 to 1967 may need to be revaccinated, as that vaccine was not effective, per CDC reporting.

Women of childbearing age should have the vaccine before getting pregnant. The CDC does not recommend the MMR vaccine during pregnancy.

People who are traveling

Make sure you get the vaccine before you travel internationally. Measles remains common in many parts of the world, and vaccination is your best defense.

How to prevent measles from spreading

A person with measles is contagious until four days after a rash develops. As with other respiratory viruses, if you have measles or think you were exposed to measles, you should:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• Avoid sharing drinks or eating utensils.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

How Do Doctors Treat Measles?

Because a virus causes measles, antibiotics will not help treat the illness. Currently, there are no specific antiviral medications for measles. Therefore, treatment for measles focuses on easing symptoms.

Treatment for the measles may include:

• Supportive treatment for symptoms
• Vitamin A
• Hospitalization
• IV fluids

Measles treatment will depend on your child’s symptoms, age and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

When to seek emergency care

Get emergency care if your child has:

• A fever higher than 105°F (40.5°C)
• Trouble breathing
• A severe headache
• Confusion or clumsiness

How To Protect Your Family Now

The measles vaccine is highly effective in preventing the disease.  In recent years, however, fewer U.S. families have gotten their children vaccinated, which has led to an increased risk of measles infections.

“I recommend that parents make sure that their family is vaccinated, especially if they are traveling to countries where vaccination rates are even lower than they are in the U.S.,” Dr. West said. “If you are a parent who vaccinates, don’t be afraid to talk to other parents about how important it is for families and our community.”

How Is Measles Spread?

Measles is highly contagious, particularly among kids. This respiratory virus spreads quickly through the air. If unprotected, about 9 in 10 people exposed to the measles virus will become infected. A person can spread the measles virus without even knowing that they have been infected.

While many people think of measles as a rash or fever that will clear up in a few days, the reality is that measles can pose serious health complications for kids, including hospitalization, brain swelling or death.

What Are Symptoms Of Measles?

Measles symptoms can develop up to 14 days after first exposure to the virus.

Early symptoms of measles

Measles starts with cold-like symptoms including:

• Runny nose
• Inflamed, red eyes
• Cough
• Fever
• Tiny white spots inside the mouth
• Tiredness/sleeplessness
• Pinkeye

Later symptoms of measles

A red rash starts on the face and then develops on the body 2 to 4 days later. Once the rash appears, the fever may get much higher. The rash fades after four to seven days as symptoms go away.

What Are Possible Measles Complications?

Measles can result in serious complications, including pneumonia, croup, and brain infection or inflammation.

"If measles was just a fever and a rash, then I don't think there would be this kind of concern," said Erica Kaufman West, MD, infectious diseases physician at Franciscan Health Dyer. "About one in 20 children who get measles will develop pneumonia. Pneumonia is the most common reason kids die from measles because it causes such a severe inflammatory response in the lungs. Encephalitis, which is the medical term for brain swelling, occurs in about one in every thousand children who get measles, and that can cause seizures, and it can also cause permanent intellectual disability."

According to the CDC, 1 in 5 who have a measles infection will need hospitalization; 1 in 20 will develop pneumonia, the most common reason for hospital stay; and 1 in 1,000 will get encephalitis, or a serious inflammation of the brain.

Measles can also result in death.

What Is The Measles Vaccine?

Once thought to be a bygone disease, measles is making a comeback in the United States and globally as folks shun a safe, surefire way to prevent it: the measles vaccine.

The measles vaccine can be given as either an MMR or MMRV vaccine.

• The two-part MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine protects people from three serious viral diseases: the measles, mumps and rubella. The MMR vaccine is given in two doses, typically between the ages of 12 months and 15 months and then between the ages of 4 and 6.
• The MMRV vaccine protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) and is available for children who are 12 months through 12 years of age.

Pediatrician Lisa Gold, MD, who practices at Franciscan Physician Network Crown Point Pediatric Health Center, has seen a small number of parents declining or delaying vaccinations for their child. These decisions are typically influenced by non-scientific sources that claim vaccines, such as the measles vaccine, do more harm than good.

Dr. Gold says that measles vaccinations have a valid reason and place in our society. Because measles is so contagious, doctors want the population vaccinated.

Measles vaccine side effects

Side effects of measles vaccines are usually mild, according to the CDC. These include soreness in the arm at the injection site, redness, or swelling where the vaccine was given, fever, mild rash, or temporary pain and stiffness in the joints.

Some children may develop a fever or pink rash on the trunk that lasts two or three days. These symptoms typically appear six to 12 days following the vaccination. No treatment is necessary for these symptoms, and the rash is not contagious. Children can continue attending childcare or school without concern.

More serious reactions to the measles vaccine are exceedingly rare. The CDC explains that these can include seizures, often linked to fever, or a temporary decrease in platelet count, leading to unusual bleeding or bruising. Individuals with diminished immune systems should avoid the MMR vaccine, as it may cause life-threatening infections in such cases.

There's Been A Measles Outbreak, Now What?

If your child received the MMR vaccine

If your child was in contact with measles but had received both doses, there is a very small chance that he or she would contract measles. Even if your child had received only one dose of the vaccine, he or she still has less than 10 percent chance of contracting the illness.

If your child has not been vaccinated for measles

On the other hand, if a child who has not received the vaccine comes in contact with the disease, there is a high chance they will get the disease.

Adults who have not been exposed

The CDC has recommended that adults born after 1957 who do did not have measles before or were not vaccinated for measles receive at least one dose of MMR vaccine. Some people who received an inactivated (killed) measles vaccine measles during 1963 to 1967 may need to be revaccinated, as that vaccine was not effective, per CDC reporting.

Women of childbearing age should make sure they have been vaccinated before they get pregnant. The MMR vaccine is not recommended during pregnancy.

People who are traveling

Because of the risk of traveling internationally, it's recommended that you are vaccinated for measles before international travel.

If Your Child Has Been Exposed To Measles

If you are concerned that your child may have been exposed to the measles virus, Dr. Gold suggests calling your child's pediatrician immediately to discuss exposure details and get advice. For children who have not been vaccinated, getting the vaccine up to 3 days after exposure to measles may prevent the illness from developing further.

"It is important for a person to understand what the details are of the potential exposure and then send the patient to a safe medical location, which often is the emergency room," Dr. Gold said.

Reducing risk of contamination

If your child was exposed to the virus and you are concerned that he or she has measles, the child should not spend time in high traffic areas, like a doctor's office. Instead, ERs have special rooms with negative air pressure, allowing them to isolate the patient and test them for measles.

A person with measles is contagious until four days after a rash develops.

As with other respiratory viruses, if you have measles or think you were exposed to measles, you should:

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• Avoid sharing drinks or eating utensils.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

How Is Measles Treated?

Because measles is caused by a virus, antibiotics will not help treat the illness. Currently, there are no specific antiviral medications for measles. Therefore, treatment for measles focuses on easing symptoms.

The treatment for the measles may include:

• Hospitalization
• IV fluids
• Supportive treatment for symptoms
• Vitamin A

Measles treatment will depend on your child's symptoms, age and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

Emergency signs

Get emergency care if your child has:

• A fever higher than 105°F (40.5°C)
• Trouble breathing
• A severe headache
• Confusion or clumsiness