Therapeutic targets
- Relief of symptoms
- Avoidance of complications
Therapy recommendations
- Causal (causal) therapy of measles is not possible.
- Depending on the leading symptoms and complications, antipyretic (fever-reducing) medication with paracetamol may be beneficial.
- Antibiosis (antibiotics) for bacterial superinfection (secondary infection).
- In adults, therapy with ribavirin (nucleoside analogue which is virostatic/active substance that inhibits the multiplication of viruses) can be considered (only case reports are available).
- Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) [see below].
- See also under “Further therapy“.
Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP)
Post-exposure prophylaxis is the provision of medication (or antisera) to prevent disease in individuals who are not protected against a particular disease by vaccination but have been exposed to it.
Indications (areas of use)
- Unvaccinated from the age of 9 months.
- Vaccinated only once during childhood
- Persons with unclear vaccination status with contact to a diseased person.
- People with immunosuppression (immunodeficiency) who have had domestic contact with measles
Implementation
- A single vaccination with MMR vaccine should be given within 3 days of exposure (“exposure”), if possible.
- Administration of immunoglobulins (antibodies; dosage: 0.2-0.5 ml/kg bw i. m. or 1.0-2.0 ml/kg bw i. v.) should be considered for vulnerable individuals at high risk of complications (e.g., infants younger than 6 months, immunocompromised individuals) and pregnant women. This measure can prevent infection within 2-3 days after exposure or attenuate it up to 6 days after exposure.
