Measles is a highly contagious, airborne virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. Measles can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. 

Measles can be serious:

• 1 out of 4 people who get measles will be hospitalized
• 1 out of every 1,000 people with measles will develop brain swelling due to infection (encephalitis), which may lead to brain damage.

Measles symptoms typically appear 7 to 14 days after contact. Beginning symptoms may include:

• High fever (may spike to more than 104°F)
• Cough
• Running nose
• Red, water eyes (conjunctivitis)

Between 2 to 3 days after the first symptoms begin, tiny white spots (Koplik spots) may appear inside of the mouth. This is an early sign of measles infection.

Between 3 to 5 days after the first symptoms, the characteristic measles rash breaks out:

• Flat red spots may appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward on the body.
• Small raised bumps may appear on top of the flat red spots.
• When the rash appears, fever may spoke to more than 104° Fahrenheit.

For a full description of the symptoms and stages of measles, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website. 

Periodically, travelers may become infected with measles in another country and bring the virus into the United States. When infections occur, they are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Information about the status of cases and outbreaks can be found on the CDC's website.