Measles Trivia Quiz Questions and Answers
What is measles?
A: Measles is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory system,
immune system, and skin.
What is the virus that causes it?
A: A paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus.
Measles is also known as what?
A: Morbilli, English measles, or rubella
What are the symptoms of measles?
A: Symptoms usually include a high fever, Koplik's spots, malaise, loss of
appetite, hacking cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Finally, along comes a
spot-like rash that covers much of the body.
How long before symptoms appear after exposure to the
virus?
A: The symptoms usually develop 7–14 days (average 10–12) after exposure to an
infected person.
How long do the symptoms last?
A: Provided there are no complications, such as
bacterial infections, it usually
lasts about 7–10 days.
Measles is an airborne
disease that is spread through what?
A: Respiration.
The virus is highly contagious with what percentage of
people without immunity sharing living space with an infected person will catch
it.?
A: 90%.
An asymptomatic incubation period occurs how many days from
initial exposure?
A: Nine to twelve days.
The period of infectivity has not been definitively
established, some saying it lasts for what period?
A: From two to four days prior, until two to five days following the onset of
the rash.
Others say it lasts from two to four days prior until the
what?
A: Complete disappearance of the rash.
The rash usually appears between how long after the onset
of illness?
A: Two and three days.
What are the classic signs and symptoms of measles?
A: Four-day fevers (the 4 D's) and the three Cs—cough, coryza (head cold), and
conjunctivitis (red eyes)—along with fever and rashes.
The fever may reach up to what temperature?
A: 40 °C (104 °F).
Koplik's spots seen inside the mouth are pathognomonic
(diagnostic) for measles, but are what?
A: Temporary and therefore rarely seen.
The characteristic measles rash is classically described as
a what?
A: Generalized red maculopapular rash that begins several days after the fever
starts.
The rash starts on the back of the ears and, after a few
hours, spreads to the head and neck before what?
A: Spreading to cover most of the body, often causing itching.
The measles rash appears how many days after the initial symptoms?
A: Two to four.
The rash lasts for up to how long?
A: Eight days.
The rash is said to "stain", changing what?
A: Changing color from red to dark brown, before disappearing.
Complications with measles are relatively what?
A: Common, ranging from mild complications such as diarrhea to serious
complications such as viral or bacterial pneumonia, otitis media, acute
brain
inflammation, and others.
Complications are usually more severe in what age group?
A: Adults.
The death rate in the 1920s was around 30% for what?
A: Measles pneumonia.
The virus was first isolated in what year by Nobel Laureate
John F. Enders and Thomas Peebles?
A: 1954.
Humans are the natural hosts of the virus, and no other
what are known to exist?
A: Animal reservoirs.
How is this highly contagious virus spread?
A: By coughing and sneezing via close personal contact or direct contact with
secretions.