Measles virus and its associated diseases

Abstract

Although successful vaccination has greatly reduced the incidence of 'clinical' measles, research on its virus has recently received increased attention. This virus can establish persistent infections in vitro and in vivo and measles infections often involve the CNS. Recent studies have furthered our understanding of conditions which may be due to persistent or latent infections with measles virus and other paramyxoviruses. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis appears to result from a laten infection with measles or a variant of measles virus, and there is circumstantial evidence linking measles virus infections to multple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Measles virus is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae. Two other viruses, canine distemper and rinderpest, share a close antigenic relation with measles virus and these 3 viruses form a distinct group, the genus Morbillivirus which differs from the other paramyxoviruses in several respects. This viruses do not possess neuraminidase activity, nor do they absorb to neuraminic acid-containing cell receptors. In addition, measles virus is the only member of the genus that exhibits hemagglutination. This article examines the properties of the virus and attempts to link these properties to diseases associated with the measles virion and its precursors (407 references.