Summary
Definition
History and exam
Key diagnostic factors
- potential exposure to measles
- unimmunised or vaccine failure
- fever
- cough
- coryza
- conjunctivitis
- Koplik's spots
- maculopapular rash
Risk factors
- exposure to measles virus
- no prior immunisation against measles
- failure to respond to measles vaccine
Diagnostic investigations
Investigations to consider
- acute and convalescent sera for measles-specific IgG and IgM
- measles RNA detection by PCR
- antigen detection by fluorescent antibody or PCR techniques
- isolation of virus in tissue culture system
Treatment algorithm
Contributors
Authors
Professor of Pediatrics
Boston University School of Medicine
Boston Medical Center
Boston
MA
Disclosures
EB has received grant funding to her institution for participation in clinical trials for PaxVax oral cholera vaccine. She has received royalties for writing for UptoDate (evaluation of newly arrived immigrants), AAP (parasitic disease treatment), and Elsevier (Immigrant Medicine). EB has received honoraria for consultancy for HostTherabiomics (travellers' diarrhoea), for speaking for Spire Learning (diarrhea), and for other CME talks (diarrhoea, vaccines).
Peer reviewers
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
West Virginia University School of Medicine
Morgantown
WV
Disclosures
LN is an author of a reference cited in this topic.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Residency Program Director
University of Chicago
Chicago
IL
Disclosures
AS declares that she has no competing interests.
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