What are the symptoms of measles?
The Centre for Health Protection describes two stages: fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and white spots inside the mouth first; then, three to seven days later, a blotchy rash.
The rash usually spreads from the face over the whole body and lasts four to seven days, though it can persist for up to three weeks. The first stage resembles an ordinary upper respiratory infection, which is why measles is hard to recognise before the rash — and why the infectious period has already begun by then.
When is it infectious?
The Centre for Health Protection states that a patient can infect others from four days before the rash appears until four days after it.
| Stage | What happens | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Four days before the rash | Fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, white spots in the mouth | Already infectious, but it looks like an ordinary cold |
| The rash | A blotchy rash spreading from the face over the body | Only now is it readily recognisable as measles |
| Four days after the rash | The infectious period ends | The rash itself lasts 4 to 7 days, sometimes up to 3 weeks |
