Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Measles
- Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
- Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
- Symptoms & Signs
- Symptoms & Signs
- Diagnosis & Tests
- Diagnosis & Tests
- Prevention & Expectations
- Prevention & Expectations
- Treatment & Monitoring
- Treatment & Monitoring
- Attribution
- Attribution
- View All
Prevention & Expectations
What can be done to prevent the disease?
Children should be immunized against measles with an MMR vaccine. This vaccination is a combined one for measles, mumps, and rubella. It is usually given at 1 year of age, and again at 4 to 6 years.
If a person who has not had the vaccine is exposed to measles, a shot of gamma globulin may be given. This may prevent the disease, or at least make it less severe. Gamma globulin will protect a person from measles for 3 months.
What are the long-term effects of the disease?
Possible complications of measles are:
What are the risks to others?
Measles is very contagious. If a person has not had measles, and has not had the MMR vaccine, contact with the infected person should be avoided during the contagious period. A person is contagious from day 11 to day 15 after exposure. Measles becomes apparent 8 to 14 days after exposure.