Measles: Information for Dental Settings

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released this helpful article in June, 2019:

What is Measles?

Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. Also, measles virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface and then touch their eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected.

Infected people can spread measles to others from four days before through four days after the associated rash appears.

Measles is a disease of humans; measles virus is not spread by any other animal species. For updated information on measles, please review CDC’s Measles (Rubeola) for Healthcare Professionals Website.

What should I do if I suspect a patient in my dental setting has measles?

>> Read the Full CDC Article