The incubation period is 10-14 days. Highly infectious from the beginning of the prodromal period for as many as 4 days after the appearance of the rash. Complications from measles are more common and more severe in chronically ill and very young children. This is particularly true in developing countries. Although vaccination rates have improved, the uptake of measles vaccine in Australia has not yet reached adequate levels.
Outbreaks continue to occur in Australia.
A paramyxovirus infection. Primarily a disease of children, with a peak incidence in the group aged 5-9 years. The incubation period is 12-25 days characterised by bilateral, or occasionally unilateral, parotid swelling but some infections are asymptomatic. Patients are infectious from 6 days before parotid swelling to 9 days after. A few experimental, clinical and epidemiological studies indicate that permanent pancreatic damage may result from injury caused by direct viral invasion.