Measles Symptoms and Signs
Rubeola ("red measles" or "hard measles")
Symptoms appear about 10-14 days after a person is infected with the rubeola virus. This is called the incubation period. During this period, the virus is multiplying. Symptoms occur in two phases.
- The early phase begins with these symptoms:
- A run-down or lethargic feeling
- Red eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- The red measles rash develops from two to four days later.
- The rash usually starts on the face, spreading to the trunk and then to the arms and legs.
- The rash is initially small red bumps that may blend into each other as more appear. From a distance, the rash often looks uniformly red.
- People with measles may develop small grayish spots on the inside of the cheek, called "Koplik spots."
- The rash is usually not itchy, but as it clears up, the skin may shed (this looks like skin that is peeling after sunburn).
- Although red measles is often a mild disease, a few serious complications may occur. Red measles makes people more vulnerable to pneumonia and bacterial ear infections. Pneumonia as a complication of measles is especially serious in infants and is responsible for most deaths in this age group. Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) occurs about once in every thousand cases of measles and is a serious complication that can be fatal.
- Red measles is particularly severe in people with weakened immune systems, including people who are malnourished or have HIV.
Rubella ("German measles")
German measles causes milder symptoms than red measles. The incubation period between getting the virus and getting sick is 10 days to
- Initially, some people experience fatigue, low-grade fever, headache, or red eyes several days before the rash appears. These symptoms are more common in adults than in children.
- Swollen, tender lymph nodes may occur in the back of the neck.
- The rash is light red to pink. It starts as individual spots that may merge together over time. The rash usually starts on the face and moves down to the trunk.
- The rash does not usually itch, but as it clears up, the skin may shed.
- Adult women who get rubella may get painful joints for days to weeks after the infection. This
typically affects the hands, wrists, and knees.
- Symptoms may be so mild that they are not even noticed, especially in children. Most symptoms resolve in a few days, but swollen lymph nodes may persist for a few weeks.
- The most feared complication of rubella is "congenital rubella," which occurs when an infected pregnant woman passes the virus to her unborn child. Among other problems and birth defects, affected infants may have cataracts, heart defects, hearing impairment, and learning disabilities. The risk of transmission is highest early in pregnancy. The virus may also cause miscarriage or stillbirth.
Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 12/5/2014
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