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| Measles rash. Credit: National Institute of Health |
WESTON, Florida – The Florida Department of Health in Broward County announced on Sunday that it is investigating five cases of measles that have occurred at an elementary school in Weston, Florida.
According to the Center for Disease Control, measles is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
In fact, the measles virus can stay in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person was there. So you can get infected by simply being in a room where an infected person once was.
It is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to him or her will also become infected if they are not protected. It can be transmitted from four days before the rash becomes visible to four days after the rash appears.
Measles Symptoms
A typical case of measles begins with mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and sore throat.
The symptoms of measles generally begin approximately seven to 14 days after a person is exposed to someone with measles, and include the following:
Blotchy rash
Fever
Cough
Runny nose
Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
Feeling run down, achy (malaise)
Tiny white spots with bluish-white centers found inside the mouth (Koplik’s spots)
People who develop these symptoms should contact their health care provider right away.