12 Facts About Measles You Need To Know

Denton County Public Health confirmed a measles case, making it the first case for 2019 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. This was the seventh case confirmed in Texas this year. Five have been confirmed in southern Texas, including four under the age of 2. 

DCPH says no further information will be released to protect private patient confidentiality.

“Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles,” stated Dr. Matt Richardson, Director of Public Health in Denton. “Unfortunately, people think that measles is just a rash and fever but measles can cause serious health concerns, especially in young children, and is highly contagious. Vaccination is incredibly effective at protecting those we love from this infection."

This information comes only days after a national study published in the Public Library of Science, names Fort Worth as a hot spot for the anti-vaccine movement. Texas is one of 18 states that allows kids to opt out of vaccines as a philosophical exemption.

In the year 2000, the CDC declared that measles had been eliminated in North America and we thought we were well on our way to relegating measles to the trash heap of history. Now, thanks to declining vaccination rates, measles is making a comeback. Along with the cases in Texas, 55 people in Washington and neighboring Oregon have gotten sick with the virus.

So, since we are starting to see measles again, we thought it would be important for people to know a few things about this incredibly contagious disease from Jason Terk, M.D., a Cook Children's pediatrician in Keller and a nationally known advocate for vaccines:

1. Measles starts out looking like a bad cold with runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, and high fever.
2. Two or three days after the initial symptoms begin, tiny white spots may appear in the mouth that are only seen with measles called Koplik spots.
3. Three to five days after the initial symptoms begin, a rash will appear as flat red spots on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, torso, arms, legs and then feet. Small raised bumps may appear on top of the flat red spots.
4. The spots may become so numerous that they combine to create an overall red appearance to the entire body.
5. Fevers as high as 104° F will be present when the rash appears.
6. Measles is the most contagious infectious disease known and is spread by coughing and sneezing. The virus particles are suspended in the air for up to two hours where an infected person has coughed or sneezed.
7. If you are exposed to the measles and have not been vaccinated, you have a 90% chance of getting the measles.
8. A person with measles is contagious from 4 days before through 4 days after the rash appears.
9. One out of every 4 people with measles will be hospitalized.
10. One out of every 1000 people with the measles will develop swelling of the brain which can lead to brain damage and death.
11. One out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia which is the most common cause of death from measles in children.
12. For every 1000 children who get measles, one to two will die from it.

So, if you don’t want any of the above, get yourself and your child vaccinated! Tarrant County has been identified as a location where a measles outbreak is considered likely. Only we can change that!

Learn more on this topic:

• Measles Outbreaks Increase as Vaccination Rates Decrease
• Measles
• Vaccines and Immunizations
• Frequently Asked Questions About Immunizations
• Immunization Schedule
• Information for parents
• Talking to your child about immunizations
• What teens should know about immunizations