The measles virus is spread by inhalation of droplets from sneezes and…

The idea

Measles is a viral disease transmitted when an infected person sneezes or coughs, releasing tiny liquid droplets into the air. These droplets contain virus particles and are inhaled by nearby people, allowing the virus to enter the respiratory tract. This is an airborne droplet route, not direct skin contact or a food-borne route. A useful classroom model is a spray bottle: a fine mist released in one place can be breathed in some distance away, just as droplets travel through the air. Because transmission happens before or during early symptoms, isolation and good respiratory hygiene reduce spread. The measles virus is not a bacterium, so antibiotics do not treat it; vaccination is the main control measure.

What earns the marks

• Identifies measles as a viral disease caused by the measles virus.
• States that transmission occurs by inhalation of droplets released when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
• Recognises that the droplets are airborne and can be breathed in by a nearby susceptible person.
• Links the method of spread to the respiratory tract as the entry point for the virus.
• Distinguishes droplet inhalation from other transmission routes such as direct contact or contaminated food.
• Explains that understanding the transmission route supports control measures such as isolation, ventilation and vaccination.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Saying measles is spread by bacteria.

  Put it right by naming the measles virus as the pathogen and stating that antibiotics are ineffective against viruses.

• Confusing droplet inhalation with direct physical contact.

  Put it right by describing sneeze or cough droplets being breathed in from the air.

• Claiming the virus enters through a cut in the skin.

  Put it right by stating that inhaled droplets carry the virus into the respiratory tract.

Exam tips

• Use the words inhalation and droplets together to show the exact route of transmission.
• Link the transmission route to one control measure, such as covering the mouth when coughing, to show applied understanding.
• Avoid writing that measles is caught from dirt; focus on airborne droplets from an infected person.