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Measles: What You Need to Know

Measles

Highly contagious disease with a 90% transmission rate.
Spread via airborne transmission, meaning that small droplets of the virus are spread in the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. The virus can survive in the air or on surfaces for two hours after exposure.
Symptoms include high fever (≥ 101° F, ≥ 100.4° F for infants younger than three months), cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, tiny white spots in the mouth (Koplik spots), and a rash occurring in red spots on the face at the hairline that eventually spread down to the neck, belly, arms, legs, and feet.
Timely identification and management are crucial to prevent outbreaks and protect public health.

Disease Process

First symptoms appear seven to 12 days after exposure to the virus. Initial symptoms may last three to five days. A few days later, a rash begins around the ears and hairline, spreading to face, torso, and arms, and lasting five to six days. Measles is most contagious four days before and four days after presentation of the rash.

Complications

This disease weakens the immune system for up to six weeks or even years post-illness.

Increases in risk for bacterial infection or infection from other diseases, pneumonia, encephalitis (i.e., brain swelling, which can cause cognitive disability, deafness, and seizures), pregnancy complications (e.g., premature labor, miscarriage, and low birth weight), seizures, and even death.

Online Sources

“The single best way to protect you and your loved ones is to be immunized for measles.”

—Dr. Gottfredson

The child’s forehead shows the characteristic maculopapular rash associated with measles.

The child’s cheek shows the characteristic rash associated with measles.

The child’s face and forehead show the maculopapular rash.

Young child with moderate illness: runny nose, teary eyes caused by measles infection.

Young boy five to six days into illness with rash and cough.

Young, dark-skinned child with watery eyes, runny nose, and raised rash.

Face of boy after three days with measles rash.

Skin of a patient after three days with measles rash.

Child with a classic measles rash after four days.

Skin sloughing off of a child healing from measles infection.

Images courtesy of the CDC

“We get that you’re cautious—it’s good to question things that go into your or your child’s body. But we also want to share what we’ve learned, not from the news or social media, but from real-world evidence and medical experience. Measles isn’t just a rash and fever—it can cause pneumonia, brain swelling, and even death. Before the vaccine, hundreds of kids died every year in the U.S. alone.”