If you don’t get Koplik spots, the rash will appear 3-5 days after your first symptom starts. The measles rash typically begins the day after Koplik spots appear. Koplik spots look like grains of salt scattered over a bright red background. They can be used to diagnose measles because no other illness causes them. These “Koplik spots” appear in 60-70% of people with the virus. Two to three days after the first symptoms begin, small white spots may appear inside the mouth. The fever typically lasts four to seven days. A cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes start shortly thereafter. It appears 7-14 days after you are exposed to the virus. People who get the measles often experience: Fever and coughĪ high fever is usually the first sign of measles.
