MedNewsToday As the initial measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico has grown and spread to 378 people in 18 statesTrusted Source, many people, and especially parents have been worried about the long-term health effects of measles infection.
Measles is seen as relatively short-lived viral disease, although the acute symptoms can take around 7–18 days to show.
What’s more is that this highly contagious disease can also have significant long-term health consequences, namely neurological, respiratory, and immune system-related complications.
Medical News Today spoke to two experts — Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, an infectious disease specialist with the University of California, San Francisco, and David Cutler, MD, board-certified family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA — about complications related to a measles infection and how it impacts overall health.