Rubeola, also called 10-day measles, red measles, or measles, is a viral illness that results in a viral exanthem. Exanthem is another name for a rash or skin eruption. Rubeola has a distinct rash that helps aid in the diagnosis. Measles is spread from one child to another through direct contact with discharge from the nose and throat. Sometimes, it is spread through airborne droplets from an infected child. This is a very contagious disease that usually consists of a rash, fever, and cough.
Measles virus, the cause of measles, is classified as a Morbillivirus. It is mostly seen in the winter and spring. Rubeola is preventable by proper immunization with the measles vaccine.
It may take between seven to 14 days for a child to develop symptoms of rubeola after being exposed to the disease. It is important to know that a child is contagious four days before the onset of signs and symptoms and four days after the rash develops. Therefore, children may be contagious before they even know they have the disease.
During the early phase of the disease (which lasts between one to four days), symptoms usually resemble those of an upper respiratory infection. The following are the common symptoms of rubeola. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
The most serious complications from rubeola include the following:
The symptoms of rubeola may resemble other skin conditions or medical problems. Always consult your child's physician for a diagnosis.
Rubeola is usually diagnosed based on a complete medical history and physical examination of your child. The lesions of rubeola are unique and usually allow for a diagnosis simply on physical examination. In addition, your child's physician may order blood or urine tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Specific treatment for rubeola will be determined by your physician based on:
Do not give aspirin to a child without first contacting the child's physician. Aspirin, when given as treatment for children, has been associated with Reye syndrome, a potentially serious or deadly disorder in children. Therefore, pediatricians and other healthcare providers recommend that aspirin (or any medication that contains aspirin) not be used to treat any viral illnesses in children.
The goal of treatment for rubeola is to help prevent the disease or decrease the severity of the symptoms. Since it is a viral infection, there is no cure for rubeola. Treatment may include:
If your child was exposed and has not been immunized, your child's physician may give the MMR vaccine to the child within 72 hours or immune globin (IG) within six days of measles exposure to help prevent the disease.
Since the use of the rubeola (or measles) vaccine, the incidence of measles has decreased by 99 percent. About 5 percent of measles are due to vaccine failure. The measles vaccine is usually given in combination with the mumps and rubella vaccine. It is called the MMR. It is usually given when the child is age 12 months to 15 months and then again between age 4 and 6. Other ways to prevent the spread of rubeola include:
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