Disease Symptoms and

Transmission
SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of measles generally appear
about 7 to 14 days after a person is infected.
Typical symptoms include: cough, runny nose,
high fever, red watery eyes, followed by: koplik
spots (white spots) appear in the mouth. After
these symptoms break out, a rash breaks out
starting at the hairline and spreading downward.

TRANSMISSION
Measles can spread to others through coughing
and sneezing. Also, measles virus can live up to
two hours in an airspace where the infected
person coughed or sneezed. If other people
breathe the contaminated air, or touch the
infected surface, and touch their eyes, nose, or
mouth, they can become infected.

About Measles
Measles is a viral illness that can lead to very
serious and even fatal complications, such as
pnemonia and encephalitis. Since humans are
the only carriers of the measles, it is possibe to
eradicate the disease if everyone gets
vaccinated. The measles begins as a cold and
then a little rash, but after about 7 to 14 days, the
rash will spread quickly. The measles can cause
hearing loss, brain swelling, and potentially
death.

The Measles
What you really need to know about
this disease, and why you should get
your MMR vaccination today.

Measles History

In the 9th century, a Persian doctor published

one of the first written accounts of measles
disease. In the first decade of reporting, an
average of 6,000 measles-related deaths were
reported each year. In the early 1950's, before a
vaccine became available, nearly all children got
measles by the time they were 15 years of age. It
is estimated that 3 to 4 million people in the
United States were infected each year. Also each
year, an estimated 400 to 500 people died,
48,000 were hospitalized, and 4,000 suered
encephalitis (swelling of the brain) from measles.
In 1954, John F. Enders and Dr. Thomas C.
Peebles wanted to isolate the virus in one of their
infected patients. After this, they managed to
take the measles virus and turn it into a vaccine.
The vaccine has since been improved and is
extremely eective today. It worked so well that
measles was declared eliminated (absence of
continuous disease transmission for greater than
12 months) from the United States in 2000, but
has since then returned due to people failing to
be vaccinated.

Vaccinate today

for a better tomorrow.

Misconceptions

1)
The most common misconception about the
measles is the vaccine. Many high socio-econoic
parents believe that the vaccine causes autism
when given to their child. THIS IS NOT TRUE!

In fact, numerous profesionals have written articles

refuting a connection between the MMR vaccine
and the developement of autism. The only article
that purported to show a connection between MMR
vaccine and autism was fully retracted.

2)
Another common misconception about the
measles is that it isnt very serious. CORRECTION,
the measles is an extremely serious disease with
eects that range from ear infections, diarrhea and
related dehydration, to severe respiratory infections
such as pneumonia , blindness, or encephalitis (an
infection that causes brain swelling). 122,000
people died from the measles in 2014. The only
sure way to protect oneself is through vaccination.

Measles facts
Measles cases
reached a record
high in 2014, and
after an outbreak at
Disneyland, the
numbers keep
growing.

Early measles
symptoms look like flu
symptoms.
Measles could be
completley eliminated
if everyone was
vaccinated

How the Measles Virus

Aects You and Your
Immune System
The measles virus enters a human through the
mouth, nose, or lungs. Once the measles virus has
entered the infected human, it infects the lungs' first
line of defense called the "macrophage". It takes
over that cell and uses it to multiply itself. However,
a natural killer cell detects the infected cell and
destroys it. This is so eective that for around ten
days after one is infected, he will feel fine. But after a
long period of fighting, the macrophages alert the
brain of the immune system, and request "Dendretic
cells" for backup. The Dendretic cells are supposed
to take a sample of the virus bring it back to the
lymph nodes and get more help from other cells. But
the measles virus actually takes control of the
Dendretic cells and uses them as a Trojan horse to
get deeper into the body. The infected cells travel to
alert other lymph nodes, but once they arrives they
kill all the cells that help destroy the virus. After this
happens, the lymph system spreads the virus
everywhere, even into the bloodstream. It infects the
spleen, the intestines, the liver, and the lungs.

Once this happens, the lung's immune system is

now getting completley destroyed. Since all of the
defending cells in the lungs are now destroyed,
other bacteria will be able to grow wildly. This
includes pneumonia, the most common way to die
from the measles. In some very serious cases, the
measles virus can reach the brain and seriously
damage it, if not kill. If one is lucky and some
Dendretic cells survive, it can contact the plasma
cells and start producing billions of antibodies that
mark infected cells for destruction. Then helper T
cells flood the body and destroy all the infected
cells. A survivor's immune system is severely
damaged.

3 Things You Can Do to

Help Stop the Spread of
Measles
1)
Vaccinate your whole family, a child should be
vaccinated between 12 and 15 months of age.
2)
People who have been exposed to the virus, or
have the symptoms, should check their
immunization record or consult their physician or
local health department to see if they need a
protective vaccination.
3)
Anyone infected with the measles virus should
avoid non-immune people. This includes separation
from public places such as daycare centers,
schools, work, malls, etc.

The most important thing to remember is to

vaccinate yourself and your family! This disease is
easily preventable, so dont skip the vaccine!