Measles 101
Measles is a highly-contagious, but preventable disease. Get the facts on the recent rise in reported cases in the U.S., how it’s transmitted, and symptoms. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor about vaccination for the whole family.
As of February 2015, 170 people from 17 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles, with most of these cases part of an outbreak linked to Disneyland in California. The majority of these cases of measles were reported from California; cases have also been reported from Utah, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, and Illinois, among other states. This outbreak prompted the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to issue a Health Advisory to provide guidance to health professionals.
Here’s what you should know to better protect yourself, your family and your community.
Why outbreaks still occur in the U.S.
Even though measles has been essentially eliminated in U.S., measles outbreaks still occur when the infection is brought into the country. This occurs when unvaccinated Americans or foreign visitors get measles while they’re abroad, and then bring the disease back with them. Measles then can spread to other people who are not protected against measles, which can lead to outbreaks. Measles is still common in many countries.
Measles can spread rapidly
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. According to the CDC, the measles virus can live for up to two hours on a surface or in the air where an infected person has coughed or sneezed, infecting other people who either breathe the contaminated air or touch an infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses or mouths.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in existence and will infect an estimated 90 percent of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus. The incubation period is onaverage 14 days, but an infected person can be contagious up to four days before they start to show symptoms.
Common symptoms of measles
Measles typically begins with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. The symptoms of measles generally appear about seven to 14 days after a person is infected.
Two or three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out, starting with the face then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104° F.
from WebMD Health http://ift.tt/28QqiC1
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment