Measles
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Summary
Measles is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily from person to person. It causes a blotchy red rash. The rash often starts on the head and moves down the body. Other symptoms include
- Fever
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- Feeling achy and run down
- Tiny white spots inside the mouth
Sometimes measles can lead to serious problems. There is no treatment for measles, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent it.
"German measles", also known as rubella, is a completely different illness.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Symptoms
- Measles (Rubeola): Signs and Symptoms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Diagnosis and Tests
-
Measles and Mumps Tests
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Measles Vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Complications of Measles (Rubeola) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Don't Let Measles Be Your Travel Souvenir (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Frequently Asked Questions about Measles in the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Measles (Rubeola) Cases and Outbreaks (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccine: Vaccine Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Images
- Photos of Measles and People with Measles (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- FastStats: Measles (National Center for Health Statistics)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Measles
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Children
- Measles (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Measles (Rubeola) (Logical Images)
- Measles - Educational Resources for Parents and Childcare Providers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Measles: Make Sure Your Child Is Fully Immunized (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Measles (Nemours Foundation)
Women
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella and the MMR Vaccine during Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
Adults
- Facts about Measles for Adults (National Foundation for Infectious Diseases)
Patient Handouts
- Measles (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Measles: Information for Parents (American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
- MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish