+1-617-394-8820 contact@baybiosciences.com

Causes and Symptoms of Measles

by | Sep 23, 2023 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Measles Overview

Measles is caused by the rubeola virus. It spreads through direct contact with a person with the virus or through droplets in the air.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that can lead to life-threatening complications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 20% of people in the United States who get measles need to spend time in the hospital, and it is fatal in 1–3 of every 1,000 cases.

Vaccination offers effective protection from measles. Some people cannot have the vaccination due to other health conditions, such as a weakened immune system. However, according to an article published by the World Health Organization (WHO), if 93–95% of the population receives the vaccine, those who are at risk are unlikely to catch measles.

The WHO also estimate that over 140,000 people died from measles in 2018, and most were under 5 years of age. Due to effective vaccination programs, however, this figure 73% lower than it was in 2000.

Signs and Symptoms of Measles

Measles is a viral disease that causes uncomfortable symptoms and can lead to life-threatening or life-changing complications.

The CDC state that symptoms usually appear 7–14 days after exposure. However, according to the WHO, they can take up to 23 days.

Symptoms include:

  • Body aches
  • Cough
  • Fever, possibly up to 104°F (40°C)
  • Red rash, appearing around 3–5 days after symptoms start
  • Runny nose 
  • Sneezing 
  • Small white spots in the mouth, appearing 2–3 days after early symptoms
  • Watery eyes

The rash usually starts at the hairline and spreads down through the body. It may begin as flat, red spots, but small bumps may appear on top. The spots may join together as they spread.

Causes of Measles

Infection with the rubeola virus causes measles.

How Symptoms Develop

The virus enters the body through the mouth, nose, or eyes. Once there, it most likely enters the lungs, where it infects immune cells.

These cells move to the lymph nodes, where the virus transfers to other cells. These cells travel through the body, releasing virus particles into the blood.

As the blood travels around the body, it carries the virus to different body organs, including the liver, the skin, the central nervous system, and the spleen.

In the skin, the measles virus causes inflammation in the capillaries. This gives rise to the hallmark measles rash.

The virus crosses the blood-brain barrier and enters the brain in around 1 in 1,000 people. This can cause swelling in the brain that may be life-threatening.

An infection in the lungs causes a person to cough, which transmits the virus to other people.

Anyone who has never had measles or the vaccination can become ill if they breathe in infected droplets or are in close physical contact with someone who has measles.

How Measles Spread?

The disease is contagious. The CDC indicate that a person can transmit the virus from 4 days before and about 4 days after the rash appears.

The infection spreads through:

  • Being near a person with measles when they cough or sneeze
  • Physical contact with a person who has measles
  • Touching a surface with the virus on and then putting fingers into the mouth, or rubbing the nose or eyes

After a person coughs or sneezes, the virus remains active in the air for around 2 hours.

If one person has measles, they can pass it to up to 90% of those around them, unless they have immunity or have had the vaccination.

Measles only affects humans. No animal species can transmit it.

Treatment of Measles

There is no specific treatment for measles, and symptoms usually go away within 7 to 10 days.

If there are no complications, the doctor will recommend rest and plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. If there is a risk of complications, the doctor may recommend spending time in the hospital.

In case a child needs treatment in the hospital, a doctor will prescribe vitamin A.

The following tips may help manage symptoms:

  • A cough: Use a humidifier or put a wet towel on a warm radiator to moisten the air. A warm lemon and honey drink may help, but do not give honey to babies under 1 year.
  • Dehydration: Encourage the person to drink plenty of fluids.
  • Eyes: Remove any crustiness with cotton wool soaked in water. Dim the lights if the eyes are hypersensitive. 
  • Pain and fever: Tylenol or ibuprofen can help manage a fever, aches, and pains. A doctor can advise on options for young children. Children under 16 years should not take aspirin.

The measles is a viral infection, and antibiotics will not help. However, a doctor may prescribe them if a person develops an additional bacterial infection.

Prevention of Measles

After a person has measles once, they usually have immunity and are unlikely to have it again.

A doctor will usually recommend vaccination for those who have not had measles and do not have immunity.

Measles vaccination

In the United States, the CDC recommend that people have the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine as follows:

  • One shot at 12–15 months of age
  • A booster shot at 4–6 years, before starting school

Newborns have immunity from their mother for several months after birth if the mother has immunity.

In some cases, however, a doctor may recommend vaccination before the age of 12 months. This may happen if there is a risk of an outbreak in the area where they live.

Adults do not need a vaccine in the U.S. if:

  • Patients were born or lived in the U.S. before 1957 unless they work in a healthcare setting and have no evidence of immunity. 
  • A blood test shows they have immunity.
  • They received at least one MMR shot after the age of 12 months, or two doses for those at high risk, such as healthcare workers.

Some people should not have the vaccine. They include those who:

  • Are pregnant or may be pregnant 
  • Currently feel moderately to severely unwell
  • Individuals with certain allergies
  • A personal or family history of immune system problems
  • People who have tuberculosis
  • Have had another vaccination within the last 4 weeks

Anybody who is not sure whether they should have the vaccine should ask their doctor for advice.

Complications of Measles

Complications can arise, some of which can be severe.

They include:

  • Additional infections
  • Encephalitis, an infection that causes brain swelling
  • Severe diarrhea and dehydration
  • Pneumonia and other respiratory infections
  • Vision loss

During pregnancy, measles can lead to:

  • Early delivery
  • Loss of pregnancy
  • Low birth weight

Those most at risk of complications include:

  • Adults over the age of 20 years
  • Individuals with a weakened immune system
  • Pregnant women
  • Very young children


Measles Vaccine anD Autism

There has been concern about an alleged link between the MMR vaccine and a risk of autism. However, the CDC state that experts have found no evidence of a link.

When considering whether or not to opt for vaccination, it is essential to talk to a doctor about how the risks of measles compare with the risks of a vaccine.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Samples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.

Our biobank procures and stores fully consented, deidentified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.

All our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

This critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Patient’s data is extremely valuable for researchers and is used to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

Including fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

We can also procure most human bio-specimens, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.

  • 日本のお客様は、ベイバイオサイエンスジャパンBay Biosciences Japanまたはhttp://baybiosciences-jp.com/contact/までご連絡ください。