Measles is caused by a virus and is spread through respiration, commonly through contacts with fluids from an infected person or through aerosol transmission. The virus is very contagious, almost 90%, and people with no immunity who share the same space with an infected person will catch the disease.

The period between the time when the virus gets into the body and the time when it erupts might be 4 to 12 days, during which there are no symptoms. The infected persons remain contagious from the first symptoms to 3 or 5 days after the rash appears.

Classical symptoms of measles consist of fever for the first three days, runny nose and conjunctivitis. The fever can reach up to 400 Celsius. After these symptoms, the rash appears which is characteristic for measles. This appears several days after the fever starts and it begins on the head before it spreads and covers most of the body.

In the United States, measles cases have increased lately as most of the parents are misguided about the vaccination fears. The first seven months of this year have brought 131 measles cases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 15 people were hospitalized and no death was reported.

The epidemic years in America caused 48,000 people infected with the virus to be hospitalized, other 1,000 people chronically disabled and 400 to die. The infection with the virus could easily lead to pneumonia or encephalitis.

Vaccines were introduced for school children and this caused the disease to decrease. Measles was eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, but this year has been terrifying because of the virus spreading again.