From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmeaslesmea‧sles /ˈmiːzəlz/ (also the measles) noun [uncountable] MIan infectious illness in which you have a fever and small red spots on your face and body. People often have measles when they are children. → German measlesGRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb?Measles is followed by a singular verb: Measles is potentially a very serious illness.
Examples from the Corpus
measles• If we are exposed to a measles virus, the immune system will develop antibodies specifically designed to attack measles viruses.• How can measles virus escape the body's natural defences to wreak such havoc?• All doses of Hib, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella must be given on or after the first birthday.• Indeed some schools do not allow girls to do this, seeing pregnancy, like measles, as infectious.• He had poor sight following a childhood attack of measles.• Then, there is the boy who dies of measles while he lives in this house.• She was a nervous wreck, and all that was wrong with the child was measles.Origin measles (1300-1400) Perhaps from Middle Dutch masel “measles spot” (influenced by mesel “leper” ((13-16 centuries))) 