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Measles is a highly infectious and serious viral illness. It begins with fever, tiredness, a cough, a runny nose and inflamed eyes. These symptoms usually worsen over 3 days. The cough tends to be worse at night. The child may avoid light because the eyes are inflamed. At this stage, there may be small white spots on a red base present in the mouth on the inside of the cheek. Between day 3 and 7, a rash begins at the hair line. In 24-48 hours, this has spread over the entire body. When the rash reaches the legs, the rash on the head and face begins to fade. The rash usually disappears after 6 days. Measles lasts about 10 days. The cough may be the last symptom to disappear. A child with measles usually feels very ill.
In a fairly high number of cases, the measles virus causes serious complications, such as pneumonia or inflammation of the brain. That is why there is much concern about the disease. Measles is not a simple childhood disease. |
