Measles, Mumps, Rubella

• Measles is a highly contagious viral infection

of an infection of the throat, airways, lungs,
and skin caused by rubeola virus

• Mumps is an acute viral disease

• Rubella is another acute disease that usually

affects susceptible individuals of any age

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 Symptoms

Symptoms usually begin 8 - 12 Early symptoms can include:

days after exposure •Sore throat Low-grade fever
•Bloodshot eyes • Difficult swallowing Maculopapular rash 14-17 days
•Cough •Fever after exposure
•Fever •Tiredness Malaise
•Light sensitivity •Muscle and body aches Usually quite mild
•Muscle pain •Loss of appetite
•Rash – may appear as flat, •Chills
discolored areas
•Runny nose
•Sore throat
•Tiny white spots inside the
mouth (Koplik's spots)

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 Complications

• Pneumonia
• Encephalitis
• Bronchitis
• Otitis Media

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 Measles Transmission
• Spread by contact with droplets from the
nose, mouth, or throat of an infected
person. Sneezing and coughing can put
contaminated droplets into the air

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 Diagnosis of Measles
• Ask questions about:
• Symptoms
• Current medical conditions
• Current medications
• Family history of medical conditions

• Serology- detect the presence of antibodies against

a microorganism
• certain microorganisms stimulate the body to
produce antibodies during an active infection

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 Serology Technique
• Gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood
collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the
needle

• In infants or young children, a lancet may be used to

puncture the skin and make it bleed. The blood
collects into a small glass tube called a pipette, or
onto a slide or test strip

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 Treatment of Measles
There is no treatment for measles, but the following may
relieve symptoms:

•Tylenol
•Bed rest
•Humidified air Humidified air can
relieve symptoms of
flus/colds

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 Prevention
• MMR vaccine: helps prevent measles, mumps, and rubella. Children 1
year of age and older get 2 doses given between ages 15 and 18
months and again between ages 4 and 6 years.

• Taking serum immune globulin 6 days after being exposed to the virus
can reduce the risk of developing measles, or can make the disease
less severe
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 Prevention
• Vitamin A supplements: reduce the
risk of death and complications in
children in less developed countries

• People who lack vitamin A are more

likely to get infections, including
measles.

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 MUMPS
• An infection with the mumps virus, an RNA
(ribonucleic acid) virus from the family
Paramyxovirus & Rubella virus
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 Symptoms
Early symptoms can include:
•Sore throat *hallmark*
• Difficult swallowing
•Fever
•Tiredness
•Muscle and body aches
•Loss of appetite
•Chills

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 Diagnosis
Diagnosis is made from:
•Symptoms
•Current medical conditions
•Current medications
•Family history of medical conditions

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 Diagnosis
Physical exam:
•Diagnosing mumps can often be done just based
on a person's symptoms and findings on the
physical exam
•A blood test to look for antibodies to the mumps
virus
•Throat culture to look for the virus in the fluid
that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (CSF)
may be ordered

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 Transmission
• Mumps is spread by coughing and sneezing or
touching something infected with the mumps virus

• It can occur anytime, from a few days prior to the

onset of swelling of the salivary glands to 9 days after
the onset of symptoms

• Once the virus enters the body, it travels to the back

of the throat, nose, and lymph glands in the neck,
where it multiplies

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 Prevention
• MMR vaccine: helps prevent measles, mumps,
and rubella. Children 1 year of age and older get
2 doses. These are usually given between ages 15
and 18 months and again between ages 4 and 6
years

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 Complications
• Deafness
• Meningitis – an infection of the fluid
and lining covering the brain and
spinal cord
• Myocarditis
• Arthritis
• Infertility – infection can spread to
ovaries
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 RUBELLA
“German Measles”
First described by German
physicians in the mid-eighteenth
century

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 Clinical Features
• Low-grade fever
• Maculopapular rash 14-17 days after
exposure
• Malaise
• Usually quite mild

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 Transmission
• Acquired via airborne droplet emission
from upper respiratory tract
• May also present in urine, feces & on skin
• No reservoir cases, only active human
cases
• Incubation period of 2-3 weeks

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 Complications
• Thrombocytopenia
• Purpura
• Encephalitis
• Arthritis

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Treatment & Prevention
• Self limited illness
• No specific treatment or Antiviral
treatment
• Clinically missed Rubella in 3-4 months of
pregnancy is associated with fetal
infections

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 Congenital Rubella Syndrome
Classic Triad
•Cataract
•Cardiac abnormalities
•Deafness

Maternal viremia with Rubella infections

during pregnancy may result in infection of
placenta & fetus

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 Congenital Rubella Syndrome

Microcephaly PDA Cataracts

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Congenital Rubella Syndrome
– Growth rate of fetal cells are reduced
– Fewer number of cells after birth
– Growth retardation
– Jaundice
– Meningoencephalitis
– CNS defects lead to moderate to profound mental
retardation

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 Treatment, Prevention, Control
• Congenital Rubella Syndrome can be prevented by effective
immunization
• MMR vaccine: helps prevent measles, mumps, and rubella. Children
1 year of age and older get 2 doses. These are usually given between
ages 15 and 18 months and again between ages 4 and 6 years

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