Measles Morbillivirus
Measles morbillivirus formerly called the measles virus is a single-stranded, negative-sense, enveloped, non-segmented RNA virus of the genus Morbillivirus within the family Paramyxoviridae. It is the cause of measles. Humans are the natural hosts of the virus; no animal reservoirs are known to exist.
The virus is spread both by direct contact/fomite transmission and by aerosol transmission, and therefore is one of the most highly contagious infections of man. Measles, or rubeola, is a highly infectious, acute viral illness of childhood that is considered eliminated in the USA but has reemerged in the past few years. Globally, an estimated 20 million cases of measles continue to occur, and it remains a leading cause of death among young children.
Copyright: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Copyright: Cheryl Safren
Department of Microbiology
