Measles is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily from person to person. The main symptom of measles is an itchy skin rash. The rash often starts on the head and moves down the body. Other symptoms include
Sometimes measles can lead to serious problems. There is no treatment for measles, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent it. You may have heard of "German measles", also known as rubella, which is a different illness altogether.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Date last updated: 09 September 2008 Topic last reviewed: 11 August 2008 |