Learn More
See, Play and Learn
Research
Resources
For You
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
Symptoms
- Measles (Rubeola): Signs and Symptoms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Diagnosis and Tests
- Antibody Serology Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
- Measles and Mumps Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Vaccination Is the Best Protection against Measles (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- Vaccine for Measles (MMR Shot) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Related Issues
- Complications of Measles (Rubeola) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Measles (World Health Organization) Also in Spanish
- Measles Cases and Outbreaks (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine Safety Information (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Plan for Travel: Measles (Rubeola) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Images
- Measles (Rubeola) (VisualDX)
- Photos of Measles and People with Measles (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Measles (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Estimating the health effects of COVID-19-related immunisation disruptions in 112 countries...
- Article: A measles IgM rapid diagnostic test to address challenges with national...
- Article: Notes from the Field: Measles Outbreak - Cook County, Illinois, October-November...
- Measles -- see more articles
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)
Women
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella and the MMR Vaccine during Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Measles (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella) Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish