Dr. Frank McGeorge and Dr. Katherine Reyes of Henry Ford Hospital hosted a webcast Tuesday (Jan. 27, 2015) to answer Local 4 viewers' questions on measles.
Here is the webcast in three parts (Part 1 is above):
The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) recently confirmed the state's first measles case of 2015.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a health advisory in connection with 68 measles cases from 11 states that have been reported since Jan. 1 of this year.
The ongoing outbreak comes after a record number of measles cases during 2014, with 644 cases from 27 states reported to the CDC.
Measles, known also as rubeola, is an infectious disease, caused by a virus that is highly contagious. It can be spread through coughing and sneezing, but can also live for up to two hours on a surface or in an airspace.
Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, but has found its way back to the forefront of preventable diseases threatening both children and adults.
The main symptom of measles is an itchy skin rash, but other symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and conjunctivitis. Tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth.
Severe complications can occur including pneumonia (infection of the lungs) and encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
The majority of the people who got measles were unvaccinated, according to the CDC.