In this review we briefly summarise virological and immunological aspects of acute and persistent measles virus (MV) infections as found in man and further investigated in animal models and tissue culture. Several mechanisms contributing to MV persistence are discussed. Recent findings, especially the analysis of CD46 and moesin as receptor acting molecules for MV, correlate well with the tropism of MV and open new fields for the investigation of MV associated immunosuppression and central nervous system (CNS) complications.