Measles isn’t just a little rash. Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children.

Measles typically begins with:

• high fever (may spike to more than 104°);
• cough;
• runny nose; and
• red, watery eyes.

Tiny white spots (Koplik spots) may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin.

Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet.

• Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.
• The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body.
• When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit.