[JPG, 48.58 KB]Measles, also called rubeola, is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. Measles starts with a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and sore throat, and is followed by a rash that spreads all over the body. Measles spreads through the air by breathing, coughing or sneezing. Measles is highly contagious and can be spread to others from four days before to four days after the rash appears. Infected people are usually contagious from about four days before their rash starts to four days afterwards.
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The Top Four Things Parents Need to Know about Measles
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 102 cases of measles reported from January 1-30, 2015 and:
– The majority of the people who got measles were unvaccinated.
– Measles is still common in many parts of the world including some countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa.
– Travelers with measles continue to bring the disease into the U.S.
– Measles can spread when it reaches a community in the U.S. where groups of people are unvaccinated.
To find out more about measles, check out great Q&A for parents and caregivers: Measles Fact Sheet [PDF].
For more information on the measles vaccine, click HERE.
For additional information on measles, go the the Georgia Department of Public Health website.
