WHO fact sheet on measles providing key facts and information on signs and symptoms, who is at risk, transmission, treatment, prevention and WHO's work on in this area.

Measles affects about 10 million people a year, [3] primarily in the developing areas of Africa and Asia. [7]

For Everyone Key points Measles is a highly contagious disease that can lead to serious complications. Symptoms usually begin 7 to 14 days after infection. Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children.

Use this toolkit to help you communicate, prepare, and respond to measles cases and outbreaks.

Measles is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Initial symptoms, which usually appear 10–14 days after infection, include high fever, a runny nose, bloodshot eyes, and tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth.

Find out about measles, a highly infectious viral illness that can be very unpleasant and sometimes lead to serious complications.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that causes a high fever, rash, cough and red eyes. It can lead to life-threatening complications, like brain inflammation and pneumonia.

The measles virus (MV) (scientific name Morbillivirus hominis), is a single-stranded, negative-sense, enveloped, non-segmented RNA virus of the genus Morbillivirus in the family Paramyxoviridae.

A vaccine can prevent measles infection. Most people recover from measles in about 10 days. It usually doesn't cause long-term medical issues. But measles can be serious and even deadly. This is especially true for children younger than age 5 and people with severely weakened immune systems.

Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that occurs worldwide. The infection is characterized by fever, malaise, cough, coryza (rhinitis), and conjunctivitis, followed by exanthem.