Know More Information About Measles Symptoms

What is measles?

Measles is best known for creating a rash in childhood, but measles can act on other parts of the body and sometimes occurs in adults. Vaccination has drastically lessened the number of causes in the world today, although isolated outbreaks continue to occur.

There are two types of measles, each caused by a different virus. Both may establish a rash or a fever, however, they are in actuality two different diseases:

The Rubeola Virus

The rubeola virus creates red measles, also referred to as hard measles or simply measles. There are not a lot reported cases in which rubeola lead into pneumonia and even inflammation of the brain (encephalitis); these cases, however, are very rare.

The Rubella Virus

The rubella virus produces German measles, also known as as three day measles. Of course this is usually a less fatal disease than red measles. Though generally mild this virus may create great birth defects if it is passed on from an infected pregnant woman to an unborn child.

What causes measles?

Both the rubella and rubeola viruses are spread through the respiratory route. Due to this they are easily spread though coughing and sneezing. It is even said that the rubeola virus is one of the most contagious viruses present in the world today. As a result, it can be spread quickly in a susceptible population. Persons carrying this virus often spread the virus without being aware of it as they carry the virus within their respiratory tract.

In cases where the individual are exempt from the virus either by having had measles in the past or via vaccination, they cannot get the disease produced by that virus. To clarify that is a person who caught rubeola as a child cannot get the disease again. Keep in mind, however, that rubeola and rubella are different viruses, therefore, an infection with one of them will not protect against an infection with the other.

What are the symptoms of measles?

Red Measles (Rubeola):

These symptoms normally appear about 10 14 days after the person catches the rubeola virus. This period is often called the incubation period. During this period, the virus is multiplying. The rubeola symptoms tend to appear in two phases. The first phase would begin with:

Fever

Cough

A run down feeling

Red eyes (conjunctivitis)

Loss of appetite

Runny nose

In the second phase the red measles rash develops from two to four days later. During this stage:

Originates on the face as small red bumps, spreading to the trunk and then to the arms and legs or koplik spots.

Rubella (German measles)

This virus is generally a less complicated disease with an incubation period of 10 days to 2 weeks. Some of the rubella symptoms include:

Drowsiness

Swollen lymph nodes on the neck.

Light red rash from the face down the trunk.

Symptoms are sometimes so passive that you may not even notice them particularly if the infected person is a child.