Measles

Measles ... infection. The first symptoms are irritability, runny nose, eyes that are red and sensitive to light, hacking cough, and a fever as high as 105F (40.6C). The length of these early symptoms, called the prodromal period, is usually three or four days before the rash appears. In some persons, however, the prodromal period may be as short as one day, or as long as eight. Once the measles rash begins, prodromal symptoms usually disappear, except for the cough, which may last throughout the course of the measles infection. Typically, the measles rash begins on the forehead, then spreads downward over the face, neck, and body. It usually takes three days for the rash to make its way down to the feet. The rash itself looks like large flat red to brown blotches that often flow into one another to completely cover the skin, especially on the face and shoulders. The rash fades in the same order that it appeared, forehead first and feet last.
The total time for the rash, from beginning to end, head to toe, is usually about six days. As the rash disappears, the healing skin may look brown temporarily, before it sheds in a finely textured peel.