Measles Virus: A Respiratory Virus Causing Systemic Disease

This chapter discusses a brief discussion on measles vaccination and eradication. Measles remains an important vaccine-preventable cause of morbidity and mortality. The causative agent, measles virus (MV), is one of the most contagious human viruses known, and is transmitted via aerosols or direct contact with contaminated respiratory secretions. Measles is associated with immune suppression, leading to an increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections. Immunization directly alters the epidemiology of measles and the kinetics of MV transmission. Measles has a relatively long incubation phase, with an average of 10 days to the onset of fever and 14 days to the onset of rash. Measles immune suppression may last for several weeks to months after the acute stage of the disease, and thus extends beyond the lymphopenia usually observed during acute measles. Increased coverage of a two-dose vaccination schedule could potentially result in global eradication of measles, but it will always remain necessary to continue measles vaccination.