Measles are a respiratory tract viral infection commonly found in children. Also called rubeola, measles can be serious and even fatal for small children. It remains a common disease in many parts of the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Americas, and Africa. Many popular travel destinations are still experiencing outbreaks of measles like Israel, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Ukraine, and the Philippines. Since measles is still common in many countries, unvaccinated travelers can bring it to the U.S., and it can spread. Before traveling internationally, people should protect themselves, their family, and community with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Measles symptoms and signs include: dry cough, conjunctivitis, runny nose, and a high fever. Many patients will get sick 7 to 14 days after exposure and will start with a prodrome of fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, and malaise before the classic symptoms and signs develop. Some complications of the disease include ear infections, pneumonia, and encephalitis. If you would like to find out more and receive a second opinion regarding your diagnosis and treatment, please contact us at secondopinions.com for your peace of mind.