Measles timeline revealed – all symptoms of ‘world’s most infectious disease’ and how to protect your kids

AS measles cases in Europe hit a 25-year high, Brits are being urged to watch for symptoms of the highly contagious disease.

Most people associate measles with a flat, red rash that appears on the face and starts to form blotchy patches.

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But this symptom typically doesn't appear for a good few days after the infection has taken hold.

New official data revealed that cases of measles in Europe and central Asia have surged to their highest level since 1997.

Global health officials warned rates of the lethal Victorian disease had doubled in the past year alone.

They said that low measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab uptake threatens even further spread of one of the world's most infectious diseases.

"Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call," said Hans Henri P Kluge, World Health Organization's (WHO) regional director for Europe, in a statement.

In 2024, over 127,350 measles cases were reported across the WHO's European region, which covers 53 countries.

This marks a dramatic jump from just 4,400 cases in 2016.

It comes as Brits planning trips to Morocco this Easter have been urged by the NHS to ensure they were vaccinated against measles first, following an outbreak of the disease in the country.

Earlier this year, UK health officials warned to be on the lookout for telltale measles symptoms after a rise in cases in Bristol.

Prof Beate Kampmann, Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Sun Health: “Measles is not a harmless infectious disease – therefore to subject children to a deliberate risk of infection is careless when we have a safe and effective vaccine available."

Experts have stressed that giving your kids the MMR vaccine is by far the best way to protect them from the illness - and any side effects that could appear later down the line.

Here, we break down the timeline of measles symptoms and what to expect if you or your child fall ill.

Day 1: Infection

Measles has been dubbed the world's most contagious diseases as up to 90 per cent of people who come into close contact with an infectious person will get it if they aren't protected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The virus lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person and spreads to other when they cough or sneeze.

Breathing contaminated air or touching an infected surface and bringing your hand to your eyes, nose or mouth can be enough for you to catch measles if you aren't vaccinated.

Day 7: First symptoms appear

It'll typically take a week to fourteen days for the first measles symptoms to appear.

These many not seem serious at first as they'll often resemble a cold, according to NHS guidance.

The first signs of measles include:

• A high temperature
• A runny or blocked nose
• Sneezing
• A cough
• Red, sore, watery eyes

Days 9-10: Koplik spots

Two to three days after you start to experience cold-like symptoms, you might notice tiny white spots in your mouth.

These are sometimes referred to as Koplik spots, the CDC said.

They tend to pop up inside the cheeks and on the back of the lips and should disappear within a few days.

Days 10-12: The measles rash and fever

It's not until three to five days after the cold-like symptoms begin that you'll see the beginnings of the telltale measles rash.

It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, torso, arms, legs, and feet.

You may get small raised bumps on top of the flat spots and the blotches may join together as the rash spreads across the body.

The rash is sometimes accompanied by a spike in your temperature, sometimes exceeding 40C.

After day 10: Possible complications

Measles is not a mild illness and even the healthiest of children may suffer complications like diarrhoea, vomiting, eye infections, ear infections and laryngitis.

The high fever can sometimes trigger fits.

Less common complications of measles are meningitis and pneumonia, which affects one in 20 children.

These problems are rare, but babies and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk.

Other nasty side effects include hepatitis and, rarely, encephalitis – inflammation of the brain, which can cause convulsions, blindness, deafness and other long-term damage.

These complications may lead to death.

Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant to Patient.info, told Sun Health: "Measles is not a minor illness – at best, your child is likely to be really poorly for about five days, and off school for up to two weeks.

"What’s more, up to one in five children with measles will get complications."

About one in 16 children will get pneumonia from the illness and one in 12 develop ear infections.

Dr Jarvis added: "Even worse, one in 1000-2000 will get inflammation of the brain, which can be fatal. And there’s a rare form of brain inflammation which can develop years after the infection, which is usually deadly."

Measles can also be dangerous if you're pregnant, as it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.

In other cases, you baby might be born with a low birth weight.

Years down the line

Gemma Larkman-Jones, from Brixton, South London, shared how her little boy Samuel passed away aged six from a rare and slow-progressing form of brain inflammation called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE).

SSPE strikes sufferers years after they were first infected with measles.

Gemma believes Samuel wouldn't have died if he'd received the MMR vaccine.

According to the National Institute of Health, just four to 11 per 100,000 measles cases result in SSPE, though this number jumps to 18 per 100,000 if the child was less than five years old when infected with the virus.

It can take years for this deadly form of brain inflammation to develop, typically around seven to 10 years after a person has measles even though the person seems to have fully recovered from the illness.

What to do if you come down with measles

You should ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help via NHS 111 if you think you or child have measles.

Bear in mind that it's highly unlikely that you'll have measles if you've received both doses of the MMR vaccine.

After speaking to a GP, the best thing to do is:

• Rest and drink plenty fluids, such as water, to avoid dehydration
• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve a high temperature – do not give aspirin to children under 16 years
• Use cotton wool soaked in warm water to gently remove any crusts from your or your child's eyes

Unvaccinated children who come into contact with the disease are currently being advised to stay at home for 21 days.

How can I best protect my child from measles?

Kids are offered their first dose aged one and their second at three years at four months, just before they start school.

However, anyone who has missed shots can catch up at any time through their GP surgery.

To keep measles at bay, 95 per cent of children must be vaccinated.

But Latest NHS Digital shows that up to three in ten children (56 per cent) in parts of England haven't had both MMR jabs by the time they turn five.

Urgent, "concerted action" is needed to tackle the virus to stop its spread, according to health specialists and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).