Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of measles usually begin 10–14 days after exposure to the virus. A prominent rash is the most visible symptom. Early symptoms usually last 4–7 days. They include:

• Running nose
• Cough
• Red and watery eyes
• Small white spots inside the cheeks.

The rash begins about 7–18 days after exposure, usually on the face and upper neck. It spreads over about 3 days, eventually to the hands and feet. It usually lasts 5–6 days before fading.

Who is at high-risk for measles?

Measles can be serious in all age groups. However, there are several groups that are more likely to suffer from measles complications:

• Children younger than 5 years of age
• Adults older than 20 years of age
• Pregnant women
• People with compromised immune systems, such as from leukemia or HIV infection

Severe complications that can occur in children and adults

• Hospitalization. About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the U.S. who get measles is hospitalized.

• Pneumonia. As many as 1 out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children.

• Encephalitis. About 1 child out of every 1,000 who get measles will develop encephalitis (swelling of the brain) that can lead to convulsions and can leave the child deaf or with intellectual disability.
• Death. Nearly 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children who become infected with measles will die from respiratory and neurologic complications.
• Complications during pregnancy. Measles may cause pregnant women who have not had the MMR vaccine to give birth prematurely or have a low-birth-weight baby.

For more information on Measles, signs/symptoms and associated complications, please visit:

www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html