Measles

Baby's First Year Milestones Slideshow

• Measles Overview
• Measles Causes
• Measles Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Measles Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors

Measles Overview

Measles is best known for causing a rash in childhood, but measles can affect other parts of the body and sometimes occurs in adults. Vaccination has significantly reduced the number of cases in the United States, although isolated outbreaks continue to occur.

There are two types of measles, each caused by a different virus. Although both produce a rash and fever, they are really different diseases:

• The rubeola virus causes "red measles," also known as "hard measles" or just "measles." Although most people recover without problems, rubeola can lead to pneumonia or inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).



• The rubella virus causes "German measles," also known as "three-day measles." This is usually a milder disease than red measles. However, this virus can cause significant birth defects if an infected pregnant woman passes the virus to her unborn child.