Philly measles outbreak: What you need to know – WHYY

Measles basics: Symptoms, severe illness and treatment

The measles virus primarily spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets in the air.

Early symptoms can appear between seven and 14 days after an exposure and often include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes or pinkeye.

What follows is a red rash. Dr. Anat Feingold, division head of pediatric infectious disease at Cooper University Health Care in Camden, New Jersey, said red spots typically appear first on the head near the hairline and neck before spreading down to other areas of the body.

Fevers can reach high temperatures of 103 and 104 degrees and the rash can last a couple days before it begins to fade.

There is no specific treatment for measles, no antiviral medications. Providers may recommend over-the-counter fever reducers and vitamin A to ease symptoms at home.

Most of the time this is supportive care and just watching to make sure the symptoms dont progress to something more serious, said Dr. Salwa Sulieman, pediatric infectious disease expert at Nemours Childrens Health in Wilmington, Delaware.

People may need hospitalization for complications like dehydration and diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia, and, in severe cases, brain swelling, neurological and respiratory issues.

For every 1,000 children who become ill from the virus, an estimated one or two will die, according to global data.

I think what happens is, when people dont see the disease around them, they forget how bad such a disease can be, Feingold said. As a mother and a grandmother, I would never want anybody I love to have to experience a measles infection.

The measles virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after someone who is contagious has left a room, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When there is a confirmed case in a community, local health authorities will investigate to identify places where that person may have been contagious and therefore exposed other people to the virus.

In Philadelphia, the city Department of Public Health has listed specific dates and times at five locations where people may have been exposed to measles, another two health facilities in Montgomery County and one hospital in Wilmington, Delaware.

Officials at the Camden County Health Department in New Jersey have identified two sites a pediatric office and a hospital emergency department as possible exposure locations for one confirmed case of measles reported last week.

If you know that youve been in a place where there were cases of measles and you develop these symptoms and arent vaccinated, you should absolutely stay at home and call your doctor for further instructions, said Dr. Emily Spengler, a pediatrician at the Center for the Urban Child at St. Christophers Hospital for Children in North Philadelphia.

If someone knows they may have been exposed or is experiencing active symptoms of measles, Spengler said its important they try to first call ahead to any health clinic or hospital they may visit.

They need to prepare for this, because there are special negative pressure rooms that they could put your child in so that they can care for your child and they can prevent spreading, she said. The last thing we want is for a child to be sitting in an emergency room waiting room and exposing anybody whos unvaccinated.

People may be asked to quarantine following an exposure, and Feingold said if they are, people should follow that seriously to ensure others arent put at risk, especially vulnerable populations.

Its a good time for everyone in affected communities to confirm their vaccination status, said Sulieman, but especially people who have been to exposure locations.

They can check with their primary care physician or in their medical records to make sure that theyve been fully vaccinated, she said. If they havent, it would be a really good time to get the measles vaccine.

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Philly measles outbreak: What you need to know - WHYY