Measles: Symptoms and treatment

Symptoms of measles

Symptoms can appear 7 to 21 days after being infected with the measles virus.

Initial symptoms may include:

fever
cough
runny nose
red, watery eyes

About 3 to 7 days after symptoms begin, a rash appears. This rash:

looks like red spots and blotchy patches
starts on the face, then spreads down the body, arms and legs
may look different or not develop in people who have weakened immune systems
can last 4 to 7 days

Most people recover from measles within 2 to 3 weeks.

Complications of measles

Common complications

Common complications from measles include:

ear infection
pneumonia
diarrhea

Severe complications

Measles infection can result in severe complications and hospitalization. Some people are at higher risk of developing severe complications from measles.

Who is most at risk

While rare, severe complications can include:

respiratory failure
inflammation and swelling of the brain (encephalitis)
death

Long-term complications of encephalitis can include:

blindness
deafness
brain injury

After recovering from measles, it's possible to develop subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, which:

is a rare but fatal neurological condition that affects the brain
can cause seizures, behaviour changes and a decline in mental processes
can occur even if it looks like the person fully recovered from the initial measles infection
may occur more frequently among those who get measles before 2 years of age

Complications during pregnancy

People who get measles while pregnant may:

have a miscarriage
go into premature labour
give birth to an infant with low birth weight
experience complications, such as:
- pneumonia
- inflammation and swelling of the liver (hepatitis)
- death

People who get measles at a later stage of their pregnancy can pass the virus on to their baby (fetus) before birth. Fetuses and infants infected with measles are more likely to develop complications and require hospitalization.

Immune system complications

Measles infection can cause a complication called immune amnesia. This is the temporary loss of a person's immunity to other germs that they were previously immune to. This means that someone who was recently ill with measles may get serious bacterial or viral infections due to a poor immune response.

Immune amnesia isn't seen in people who received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Learn more:

Preventing measles with vaccination

If you become ill

If you're infected with the measles virus, you can spread it to others. This is possible from 4 days before until 4 days after the rash begins. Even if you don't develop a rash, you can still spread the virus to others. This is possible up to 10 days after the initial symptoms appear. Some people with weakened immune systems may be contagious for longer.

If you develop symptoms of measles, isolate at home and away from others. Contact a health care provider immediately. They will advise you on what to do.

Seeking medical care

Before going to a health care facility, contact the office ahead of time to let them know that you might have measles. This will allow staff to take appropriate precautions to protect themselves and other patients before you arrive. You should also wear a well-fitting respirator (like an N95) to reduce the risk of spreading measles. If a respirator is unavailable, you can wear a well-fitting medical mask.

Types of masks

When possible, do not go to a health care facility or clinic without contacting them first.

Diagnosing measles

Early diagnosis of measles is important to help prevent it from spreading to other people.

A health care provider may suspect measles based on your symptoms. They will likely ask if you're immune to measles (through vaccination or previous infection). They may also ask if you've been exposed to the virus, for example, if you:

are aware of measles spread in your community
were in contact with someone who has measles
have recently travelled to a place where measles is present

A laboratory test is needed to confirm the diagnosis. The health care provider will collect a sample, which can include:

swabs from your nose or throat
a urine test
a blood test

Confirmed measles infection

If you're diagnosed with measles, the health care provider or laboratory will inform your local public health unit or office. This is in accordance with their reporting requirements.

Your local public health unit or office will get in touch with you for contact tracing. This is done to help stop the virus from spreading to more people. During contact tracing, the public health unit or office will try to figure out:

how you became infected
who you've been in contact with and the areas that you visited

They will also provide you with advice on isolation, such as staying home and avoiding shared spaces with others. This is recommended until 4 days after the rash first appeared.

They may also recommend measures to help limit further exposure of household members while you're isolating, for example:

avoiding contact with others, including direct contact (like kissing) and indirect contact (like using shared items)
wearing a well-fitting respirator when in shared spaces that household members may access, even if they're not present at the time
- if a respirator isn't available, a well-fitting medical mask can be used
improving indoor ventilation by opening windows and doors or by running a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system fan

Treating measles

There are no specific antiviral treatments for a measles infection.

A health care provider will likely:

recommend medication to reduce your fever
tell you to drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest

If your symptoms worsen, you may need to seek urgent medical care. Medications are available to help relieve symptoms and manage complications if they develop.

Most people with measles recover at home, but people with severe measles may require hospitalization.