MEASLES AWARENESS FROM COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES IPAC

The MCA Community Health Services Infection Prevention and Control Program (IPAC) is providing important information about measles, a highly contagious virus that spreads easily through coughing, sneezing, or talking. Symptoms typically appear 7-21 days after infection and include fever, cough, pink-eye, and a rash that spreads from the face down the body. Severe complications can occur, especially for young children, adults over 20, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals. These complications may include pneumonia, brain swelling, and, in rare cases, death. Measles can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves, and 9 out of 10 non-immune people will contract it if exposed.