Measles: what you need to know
When was the last time you heard of someone sick with diphtheria? Or polio? Mumps?
Chances are, if you鈥檝e grown up in a part of the world where vaccination is commonplace, you鈥檝e probably forgotten or never known what it鈥檚 like to have these diseases. It鈥檚 easy to feel complacent when they almost disappear from our collective public consciousness 鈥� until one of those preventable diseases starts making its way into news headlines, with outbreaks occurring across the globe. Like measles.
Australia has already seen more cases of measles within the than it did for the entirety of 2018. It鈥檚 one of the most contagious diseases affecting humans, but it鈥檚 also preventable, with an effective vaccine that鈥檚 widely available.
So, what鈥檚 it like to have measles鈥攁nd just how bad can it get, anyway?
What is measles?
Measles is a serious, highly infectious viral illness. It鈥檚 spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Sometimes even just breathing may be enough to spread the virus.
It鈥檚 highly contagious: if you鈥檙e not immune to the virus and you come into contact with someone infected with measles, you have a of getting sick. A single infected person can typically make between 14鈥�18 other people sick. If someone with measles enters a room and coughs, the virus can stay in the air for some time after that person leaves the room鈥攕ometimes for up to two hours.
An infected person is contagious from the first day of symptoms. These typically don鈥檛 appear until about . At first, measles symptoms may be very similar to other viral infections, with people experiencing a fever, cough, runny nose, sore red eyes, and generally feeling sick and tired. A few days later, a nasty, spotty rash develops, starting from the face and progressing down the rest of the body. The rash lasts for 4鈥�7 days.
There is no specific treatment for measles. Instead, the aim is to manage the symptoms and reduce risk of complications. Medication such as paracetamol may be used to help reduce discomfort and lower a fever, but otherwise it鈥檚 a case of bed rest, drinking plenty of fluids and staying away from other people to prevent the disease鈥檚 spread.
More than just a 鈥榤ild鈥� disease
At first glance, measles might seem like just another illness: a nasty rash, fever and cough that鈥檚 pretty unpleasant for a few days, but something you鈥檒l eventually fight off as life goes back to normal 鈥� right?
Aside from being a miserable sickness to experience, roughly 10 per cent of measles cases involve complications. Some may be comparatively mild, such as diarrhoea or ear infections. Others, however, can be fatal: 1 in 20 people will develop pneumonia, one of the most common causes of death for young children affected by measles, while will develop encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) that can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
In fact, it was encephalitis that claimed the life of children鈥檚 author Roald Dahl鈥檚 seven-year-old daughter after she contracted measles. In later years, when a vaccine became available, Dahl to parents unaware of the dangers should they decide against vaccinating their children.
Even after surviving the initial illness, in rare cases, measles can lead to a devastating and fatal complication called (SSPE), a progressive inflammatory condition of the brain. The condition typically only develops several years after the initial measles infection, beginning with milder symptoms such as personality changes and mood swings, before progressing to seizures, muscle spasms, and eventually leading to coma and death.
Complications tend to be more common and more severe in people who are chronically ill (including those with compromised immune systems), very young children, and pregnant women, where it can lead to loss of the pregnancy.
Staying protected
The most effective way to keep yourself and your community safe from measles is through vaccination. In Australia, the MMR vaccine is typically as two separate doses and provides protection against measles, mumps and rubella.
It鈥檚 safe and highly effective: if you鈥檝e had two doses of the vaccine, it is at preventing measles infection. Not sure if you鈥檝e had two doses? It鈥檚 safe to have another MMR vaccine if you don鈥檛 have evidence of a second dose to ensure you鈥檝e got the best possible protection.
Preventing measles means preventing its nasty complications, too. The incidence of SSPE has declined by at in countries where widespread immunisation against measles has taken place.
Those most at risk of developing complications tend to be the same people who are unable to be vaccinated against the disease鈥攕o it鈥檚 crucial that others in the community are fully immunised to prevent spread of disease to the most vulnerable in our society. Check your vaccination records and, if in doubt, speak with your GP today to keep yourself protected.