Measles are a systemic infectious disease caused by a single stranded 
ribonucleic acid virus (measles virus) from the paramyxovirus family. Typically, 
the disease is characterized by a two-phase course. After an average incubation 
period of 8 to 11 days, initial symptoms such as fever, cough, coryza and 
conjunctivitis appear. Two thirds of the patients shows a white-marked enanthema 
on the buccal mucosa (Koplik's spots). After disappearance of these symptoms, a 
second increase of temperature and the typical measles exanthema, a brownish-red 
maculopapular rash, appear. Infection with measles virus induces transient 
immunodeficiency that favours the formation of several complications. Some of 
them, e. g. encephalitic diseases, are severe and associated with a high 
mortality. Measles are world-wide distributed and belong to the ten most 
frequent infectious diseases in some less developed countries. The disease is 
associated with a high mortality in some African and South-East Asian countries, 
in particular in children aged less than 12 months. Of particular note, measles 
are the most important cause of blindness in children in population with 
borderline vitamin A status. In Germany, the number of reported measles cases 
has been declined dramatically since the introduction of a vaccine more than 
four decades ago. However, regional outbreaks or small epidemics still occur. 
Because there is no specific antiviral treatment, therapy of measles is 
symptomatic and depends on the manifestation of the disease. The most important 
prevention strategy is immunization with a life-attenuated vaccine that can be 
applied as monovaccination or in combination with mumps and rubella virus (MMR 
vaccination) or mumps, rubella and varicella virus (MMRV vaccination).