Measles; Also called Rubeola is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily from person to person.Measles symptoms and signs appear 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus.They typically include:

• Fever
• Dry cough
• Runny nose
• Inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis)
• Sensitivity to light
• Tiny white spots with bluish-white centers found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek, called Koplik's spots
• A skin rash made up of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another

What Causes Measles

The cause of measles is a virus. The measles virus is so contagious that if one person has it, 90 percent of that person's close contacts who aren't immunized will become infected. If you've already had measles, your body has built up its immune system to fight the infection, and you can't get measles again.

Prevention

The measles vaccine is extremely effective it is usually given as a combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) inoculation, which contains the safest and most effective form of each vaccine.

Doctors recommend that children receive the MMR vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age, and again between 4 and 6 years of age — before entering school. Usually babies are protected from measles for about six months after birth because of the immunity passed on from their mothers.