Measles symptoms include a runny nose, coughing, and fever, with a rash appearing two weeks later. Pink eye, ear infections, and diarrhea are also possible. Measles is highly contagious and can lead to encephalitis. It is different from German measles, which is dangerous for pregnant women and can cause congenital rubella syndrome. Vaccination is recommended.
Symptoms of measles, or rubeola, often include a runny or stuffy nose, fever, fatigue, coughing and sneezing within a week or two of being infected. The most recognizable symptom of measles, the maculopapular rash or rash that is mottled from head to toe, may not show up until at least two weeks after a person is infected with the measles virus. Koplik’s spots are reddish sores with white or bluish centers and appear inside the mouths of people with measles.
Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is also one of the symptoms. The infection, commonly called pink eye, can involve one or both eyes and symptoms include redness inside the eye and a crusty crust around the eyelid that temporarily closes it, especially upon waking. An additional symptom of measles in children is a middle ear infection or otitis media. Younger children may grab their ears and be more irritable and less active than usual, while older children with a middle ear infection may complain of earache. Symptoms of measles in children often include diarrhea and there may also be a loss of appetite.
Many people confuse measles symptoms with other conditions like colds and flu until the rash appears that starts on the head and works its way up the body. Measles is extremely contagious, but once a person has it, they don’t get it again. Medical help should be sought immediately when measles is suspected in adults or children. Measles is usually not serious, but it is highly contagious and there is a rare risk of developing the inflammatory brain condition called encephalitis. Symptoms of encephalitis include stiff neck, fever, vomiting and headache.
It is important to differentiate measles from German measles as they are two different diseases with completely different viruses. The medical name for measles is rubeola, while rubella refers to German measles. Measles symptoms such as a blotchy rash and signs of a cold or flu are the same as for German measles. However, swollen neck glands are a common symptom of German measles that may not be seen in measles. German measles is also different from regular measles in that it is very dangerous in pregnancy.
If a pregnant woman has German measles and passes it on to her fetus, the result could be congenital rubella syndrome, which is the medical name given when a fetus is infected with the disease. Congenital rubella syndrome can cause physical and mental retardation, as well as organ deformities and deafness. A blood test can determine a person’s immunity to rubella or German measles. The German measles vaccine is generally considered safe for a woman who could become pregnant if given at least one month before pregnancy
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