For a complete list of Frequently Asked Questions, please visit: https://www.hpepublichealth.ca/measles-faqs/
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that poses significant health risks, and usually lasts about two weeks. Complications from measles are more likely in people who are pregnant, people who are immunocompromised, and in children less than 5 years of age.
Common complications of measles include ear infections and pneumonia, occurring in 1 of every 10 cases. Less commonly, measles can cause severe complications such as encephalitis, an infection of the brain, occurring in 1 of every 1,000 cases.
Measles causes death in about 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 cases. Before measles vaccine was widely used, almost all children got measles, and it caused over 2 million deaths worldwide, each year. Now, because of routine vaccination, very few children get measles in Canada. However, there has been a dramatic rise in measles cases globally, with recent cases identified in Ontario.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Symptoms of measles include:
- Fever
- Cough and runny nose
- Red and irritated eyes
- A red, blotchy rash that starts on the face then spreads down the body, arms and legs
- White spots may appear inside the mouth and throat 2-3 days after symptom onset