Measles

Thermometer Feeling a bit spotty? The winter of 2009 has seen outbreaks of measles in Canterbury and other parts of New Zealand as the media reports:

Efforts to combat measles boosted Radio New Zealand
Measles jabs brought forward in Canterbury TVNZ

Information from The Community Health Information Centre (CHIC), a service of Community and Public Health, a division of the Canterbury District Health Board.

What are measles?

See the full pamphlet: Measles (PDF)

Information from The Community Health Information Centre (CHIC), a service of Community and Public Health, a division of the Canterbury District Health Board.

English measles is a viral infection that can lead to ear infections, pneumonia and/or diarrhoea. Sometimes it can cause serious problems such as inflammation (swelling) of the brain. It can make you very sick and may result in a week or more off work or school.

What are the symptoms?

The disease begins with a fever, conjunctivitis (red eyes), runny nose and small irregular, bright red spots with a small white speck, on the inside of the mouth. The characteristic red rash appears on the body on the third to seventh day and lasts for up to one week. Diagnosis is confirmed by a blood test.

How is it caught/spread?

Measles is one of the most highly infectious diseases and is spread by airborne droplets from sneezing, coughing or from direct contact with nasal or throat secretions.

It usually takes 10-12 days after exposure for the onset of fever
Another 2-4 days after the fever for the rash to appear
The onset of fever and rash however may vary from 7-21 days

A person is infectious from one day before the start of symptoms to four days after the appearance of the rash.

How is it treated?

The only treatment is to relieve symptoms.

Can it be prevented?

Immunisation is the only effective means of preventing the disease and controlling it in the community. The measles vaccine is included in the MMR vaccination which is given at age 15 months and 4 years as part of the free childhood immunisation programme.

Immunisation is 99% effective after the second dose. Most adults are considered to be immune because of previous infections. If a person gets vaccinated within 3 days of exposure he/she may not develop measles. If measles is suspected, the child should be seen by a doctor and kept away from other children. He/she should be off school/pre-school for at least four days after the appearance of the rash.

Unimmunised contacts, who do not have a history of measles confirmed by a blood test, may be excluded from school/pre-school for 14 days after exposure.

August 2009

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