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Pathogen Page

Measles virus

I. General Information

1. NCBI Taxonomy ID:

2. Disease:

Measles

3. Introduction

Measles virus is a negative strand RNA virus in the Morbillivirus genus of the Paramyxoviridae family. The virus was first isolated in 1954. Measles virus causes measles, a highly infectious disease of humans spread by the respiratory route and characterized by fever and rash. Important complications include secondary infections associated with MV-induced immune suppression and the neurological disease post-infectious encephalomyelitis (Griffin et al., 2008).

4. Microbial Pathogenesis

Measles virus (MV) has two envelope glycoproteins, the haemagglutinin (H) and fusion proteins, which are responsible for attachment and membrane fusion, respectively. Human signalling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM; also called CD150), a membrane glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin superfamily, acts as a cellular receptor for MV. SLAM is expressed on immature thymocytes, activated lymphocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells. It regulates production of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 by CD4+ T cells, as well as production of IL-12, tumour necrosis factor alpha and nitric oxide by macrophages. The distribution of SLAM is in accord with the lymphotropism and immunosuppressive nature of MV (Yanagi et al., 2006).

5. Host Ranges and Animal Models

Humans are the only known natural host of measles, although the virus can infect some non-human primate species (Wiki: Measles).

6. Host Protective Immunity

Although innate responses probably contribute to control of virus replication during the incubation period, the onset of clinically apparent disease coincides with the appearance of MV-specific adaptive humoral and cellular immune responses. Antibody can protect from MV infection and may contribute to recovery from infection. Antibody is sufficient for protection because infants are protected by maternal antibody and passive transfer of immune serum can modify or interfere with measles vaccination and can partially protect children from measles after exposure. The best correlate of protection from infection is the level of neutralizing antibody. In infants, the level of maternal antibody correlates with failure of the humoral response to vaccination (Griffin et al., 2008).

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