What is it?
Measles is a contagious disease, one of the most contagious diseases that exist, and is caused by a virus. Measles occurs all over the world, including in the Netherlands. The disease is characterised by a red skin rash. In addition to the symptoms described below, the virus can also cause diarrhoea, middle ear infection, pneumonia, convulsions and (after some years) encephalitis. Measles can be fatal.
Symptoms may include:
- fever
- listlessness
- runny nose
- coughing
- eye inflammation (conjunctivitis)
- small white spots on the lining of the mouth
- after a few days, spots behind the ears
- followed by a red rash over the whole body
How do you catch it?
Anyone can get measles. The virus is transmissible from person to person through the air, even at some distance. You can become infected by coming into contact with droplets that people infected with the measles virus breathe out, cough or sneeze. Someone who has contracted the measles virus is themselves contagious as soon as the first symptoms have begun.
How do you prevent it?
You cannot reduce or prevent infection through hygiene measures such as handwashing and cough hygiene. If you have already had the disease, you will have built up a natural immunity to measles. You can prevent infection through vaccination. Anyone who has never been vaccinated against this disease is advised to do so. The vaccination against measles is the MMR vaccination, a single vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella. This vaccination is part of the Dutch National Immunisation Programme and is given twice. In adults who have not been vaccinated before, a single MMR vaccination probably provides lifelong protection against the measles virus.
In addition to the conditions at your destination, your personal circumstances and travel plans are decisive factors in the preparations you may want or need to make before you travel. You can come to us for expert travel-health advice and the above-mentioned vaccinations.
The above description is only a general, brief and simple account and is intended purely for information. No rights can be derived from it. Personal advice is given exclusively during a consultation with a specially trained Certified Travel Medicine Doctor or Travel Medicine Assistant.