Both the measles and rubella are contagious infectious diseases caused by a virus. Neither of which have any form of treatment. Each causes their own distinct symptoms.
Measles (ruboela) main symptom is an itchy skin rash, that usually starts in the vicinity of your head and migrates down your body. Inside of a week, this rash will start disappearing in the same order it appeared.
If infected, you may also experience:
The measles virus can also cause:
Measles complications can be very dangerous, a rare few may develop pneumonia or encephalitis, and it can even cause death for some.
Rubella, also known as German measles or three day measles, causes flu-like symptoms and a rash. Its symptoms commonly include:
- red eyes
- headache
- runny nose
- low-grade fever
- muscle/joint pain
In most cases, rubella symptoms are mild, with many not realizing they’ve been infected.
The main concern regarding rubella is during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. If a woman comes down with this virus during this period, there is a potential for miscarriage, or cause problems to the unborn child, such as:
- deafness
- cataracts
- heart or brain damage
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent both of these viruses, along with the mumps. After your vaccine injection, the viruses grows. In turn, your immune system fights their infections, and develops an immunity that lasts a lifetime. The second dose is given to ensure immunity develops in those that may not have responded to the first.
MMR is not without controversy, especially in relation to autism.
