Measles

Summary

Measles is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It spreads easily from person to person. It causes a blotchy red rash. The rash often starts on the head and moves down the body. Other symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Feeling achy and run down
• Tiny white spots inside the mouth

Sometimes measles can lead to serious problems. There is no treatment for measles, but the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine can prevent it.

“German measles”, also known as rubella, is a completely different illness.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Diagnosis and Tests

• Antibody Serology Tests National Library of Medicine
• Measles and Mumps Tests National Library of Medicine

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Foundation for Infectious Diseases National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Measles National Institutes of Health

Related Issues

• Complications of Measles (Rubeola) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Measles World Health Organization
• Measles Cases and Outbreaks Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine Safety Information Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Plan for Travel: Measles (Rubeola) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• From Virus to Vaccine: Studying Measles Immunity
• Measles: What You Need to Know

Patient Handouts

• Measles Medical Encyclopedia
• MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis Medical Encyclopedia

Start Here

• Measles Nemours Foundation
• Questions about Measles Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Images

• Measles (Rubeola) VisualDX
• Photos of Measles and People with Measles Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Symptoms

• Measles (Rubeola): Signs and Symptoms Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Children

• Measles – Educational Resources for Parents and Childcare Providers Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Measles Vaccines for Children Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Vaccine for Measles (MMR Shot) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Women

• Measles, Mumps, Rubella and the MMR Vaccine during Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists

Journal Articles

• Measles