Measles (Rubeola)

1990 Case Definition

Clinical case definition

An illness characterized by all of the following clinical features:

• a generalized rash lasting greater than or equal to 3 days
• a temperature greater than or equal to 38.3°C (101°F)
• cough, or coryza, or conjunctivitis

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• Isolation of measles virus from a clinical specimen, or
• Significant rise in measles antibody level by any standard serologic assay, or
• Positive serologic test for measles IgM antibody

Case classification

Suspect: any rash illness with fever

Probable: meets the clinical case definition, has no or noncontributory serologic or virologic testing, and is not epidemiologically linked to a probable or confirmed case

Confirmed: a case that is laboratory confirmed or that meets the clinical case definition and is epidemiologically linked to a confirmed or probable case. A laboratory-confirmed case does not need to meet the clinical case definition.

Comment

Two probable cases that are epidemiologically linked would be considered confirmed, even in the absence of laboratory confirmation. Only confirmed cases should be reported to the NNDSS.

See also:

• 2009 Case Definition
• 2007 Case Definition
• 1996 Case Definition

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