10 Common Symptoms of Measles

Measles or rubeola is a dangerous childhood disease which is caused by the measles virus and transmitted through coughing or sneezing. The virus has an incubation period of 7 to 21 days and is so contagious that it infects about 90 percent of exposed susceptible persons. Measles mainly occurs in infants and children under five years old, malnourished children older than five years old, adults older than 20 years old and pregnant women.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 644 cases of measles were recorded in the United States in 2014, which was thrice the number of infections in the previous year. Scroll down to learn more about the common symptoms of measles.

Symptom #1: Fever

As is known to all, fever is a common symptom of measles. When the body's defense mechanism fights against the disease-causing organisms, a fever happens. More energy will be applied to fight against intruders as opposed to maintaining normal body functions, including temperature. This will result in the dropping of the body temperature.

When this occurs, hypothalamus, the body temperature controlling center within the brain, starts to adjust body temperature upwards. Measles can cause a fever that is as high as 104F or more.