Measles: Learn what are the symptoms, transmission, treatment and prevention

This Thursday (17), the Municipal Health Secretariat (SMS) confirmed the First case of measles in the state capital in 2025 . The victim is a 31 -year -old man who had received full doses from childhood disease vaccine.

According to SMS, the patient recently traveled to Jacarezinho, Paraná, and the first symptoms – fever, red spots on his body and cough – appeared on April 2. Despite the infection, the history of vaccination contributed to the evolution of the clinical condition to be milder, allowing the recovery in home isolation and without the need for hospitalization.

What is measles?

Measles, one of the most contagious infectious diseases in the world, can cause serious complications – such as blindness, pneumonia or encephalitis, brain swelling – and even being fatal, especially in children under 5 years.

In general, it is estimated that up to 3 in 1,000 measles-infected children will die of respiratory and neurological complications. “If a family is concerned, I invite you to contact your child’s doctor so they can talk and get information about measles and measles vaccination,” says Melissa Stockwell, pediatric professor at Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.

The best protection against measles is vaccination against the virus.

Three signs of measles alert

At first, measles can cause symptoms that may seem similar to those of other respiratory diseases, such as the flu or the common cold.

“At the beginning of measles, it is very difficult to differentiate measles from other ordinary respiratory diseases. There are three signs that occur together: cough; conjunctivitis or red eyes; and coast which is a term for a very congested or clogged nose, ”said Glenn Fennelly, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases and Vice President Global Health Assistant Texas Tech Health El Paso.“ If you see these three together, that’s a matter of concern, ”comments.

Other important symptoms of measles include High fever that can reach more than 40 degrees Celsius, reddish and irregular rash characteristic of measles and Koplik spots which are small white spots that may appear inside the mouth two or three days after the onset of symptoms.

“Although some of the symptoms of measles in their early stages may override other respiratory viruses, such as runny nose, cough and fever, typical measles cases have a striking rash,” which usually begins three days after the onset of other symptoms, said Stockwell.

How does the measles spread?

The measles virus spreads through the cough, sneezing and breathing of the same air that was breathed by someone infected with measles. The virus can remain in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours – even after the infected person has left the environment.

It is estimated that a measles-infected person can infect 9 out of 10 of their nearby contacts if these contacts are not vaccinated. Measles is so contagious in part because an infected person can convey the virus to others even before he has – four days before four days after the appearance of the rash.

“The best protection is that all parents immunize their children when immunization is recommended, and this starts at a year of age, with a second recommended dose around 4 to 6 years old,” said Fennelly.

Can you contract measles if you are vaccinated?

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has shown to be safe and effective, Fennelly said. One dose is 93% effective against measles, and two doses are 97% effective.

Here in Brazil, the SCR immunizer, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, reached significant vaccine coverage by 2024, exceeding 95% both in the first and second dose. Official guidelines say children should receive two doses of the triple viral vaccine between 12 and 15 months. These two doses usually protect people from measles for a lifetime.

But the vaccine can be taken later if necessary. For older children, adolescents and adults not vaccinated or without proof of doses applied, SBIM (Brazilian Society of Immunizations) recommends two doses, with an interval of one to two months.

Since the vaccine is not 100% effective, the more measles spread, the higher the risk of a vaccinated person being infected if exposed to the virus. However, the symptoms of the disease are usually lighter in vaccinated people, and they are also less likely to transmit it to others.

CDC guidelines also indicate that if someone is exposed to measles, receiving the MMR vaccine within 72 hours can induce some protection or result in a less severe disease. Older children or adults can be vaccinated if they have not received the vaccine as children.

Prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, the virus caused about 2.6 million deaths a year worldwide. In 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that there were 107,500 measles deaths, especially in low vaccination countries.

“Measles vaccines are safe and effective. There is no validated study that shows any connection with autism,” said Fennelly. “That vaccines against measles are safe was demonstrated by the millions of children who received them without complications. What parents should fear, in the case of measles in particular, is not the vaccine but the disease, which may be devastating.”

How the measles is treated

There is no specific antiviral therapy for measles, but some of the complications associated with the disease can be treated. “Unfortunately, there is no treatment for measles,” says Stockwell.

“Sometimes measles can result in a secondary infection, such as an ear infection or pneumonia, which needs antibiotic treatment,” she adds. “Finally, vitamin A can be an important adjuvant therapy for measles, which can help protect against serious diseases and some of the adverse effects of measles.”

Fennelly notes that measles is a “strongly immunosuppressive” virus, which means that weakens the infected person’s immune system, and bacterial infections such as bacterial pneumonia are one of the main causes of measles -related death. “Children may have bacterial infections in the respiratory tract that require antibiotic treatment,” said Fennelly.

In addition, “any child who is ill enough to be hospitalized will probably receive high doses of vitamin A,” he says. “Vitamin A has shown to have a very strong impact during acute measles and, for very sick children, can lead to a 50% reduction in mortality.”

People whose doctors say they should stay at home can be treated with drugs to lower the fever, rest and a lot of hydration. “It is important to isolate the child during the period when they may be contagious and keep in touch with the pediatrician,” said Fennelly. “If a child starts to get overly sleepy or very annoying, they would be reason to get in touch with the pediatrician again.”

Can the measles be fatal?

Although measles deaths are rare, there are some measles complications that can result in death, especially in young children. When the disease progresses to fever and rash, “unfortunately, this is where complications begin,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, co -director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Development Center and Rector of the Baylor College of Medicine National School of Tropical Medicine.

“The rash is happening because the virus is entering the bloodstream and going to different parts of the body, and one of the most feared complications is measles pneumonia,” said Hotez.

Specifically, 1 in 20 children with measles will develop pneumonia, the most common cause of death from the disease. He also points to encephalitis and dehydration by diarrhea as other less common measles -related causes.

Measles in Brazil

In 2016, Brazil received certification of the elimination of the virus that causes measles.

According to the Ministry of Health, in 2016 and 2017 no cases of the disease were confirmed. However, in 2018, with the large migratory flow associated with low vaccination coverage, the virus was circular again and, In 2019, Brazil lost the certification of “country free from measles virus” by registering more than 21,700 cases.

In June 2022, Brazil registered the last endemic case of Measles in Amapá. Therefore, In November last year, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) again certified Brazil as free from the circulation of the virus.

*With information from Jacqueline Howard and Neha Mukherjee, from CNN, and Agência Brasil

This content was originally published in measles: know what are the symptoms, transmission, treatment and prevention on CNN Brazil.

Source: CNN Brasil