Measles Outbreaks

Measles Outbreaks 2025

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that measles outbreaks continued in 2025, as 184 WHO Member States reported measles cases. As of May 28, 2025, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a global Watch-Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Notice, identifying measles outbreaks in over 50 countries, which include Afghanistan, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of South Sudan, Republic of the Congo, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and Zambia.

United States Measles Outbreaks 2025

As of December 10, 2025, the CDC reported more than 1,900 confirmed measles cases across 43 US jurisdictions. The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (CDCHAN-00522) on March 7, 2025, regarding measles outbreaks in western Texas. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) submitted 92 identical DNA sequences in genotype D8, while 10 DNA sequences from New Mexico and one from Kansas were similar to those from Texas. Additionally, five distinct genotype B3 sequences were reported from the States of Alaska, California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington. The Annual Report on Immunization Status of Texas Students for the 2023-2024 School Year indicates a high statewide vaccination rate of over 94%.

United States Measles Outbreaks 2024

As of December 31, 2024, the US CDC reported 285 measles cases (49 imported) in 33 jurisdictions: Arizona, California (San Diego, Los Angeles), Florida (Broward, 10), Georgia, Idaho, Illinois (Chicago (67)), Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota (70), Kansas City, Missouri, New Jersey (Camden, Monmouth, Somerset counties), New York (New York City (13)), Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio (Cincinnati), Oregon (31), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. About 56% of cases were hospitalized for management of measles complications, and 39% were under five years of age. As of 2024, there are no CDC recommendations for receiving a third MMR dose during measles outbreaks.

United States Measles Outbreaks 2023

The US CDC reported 59 measles cases in 20 jurisdictions across the United States in 2023. The majority of these cases involved unvaccinated international travelers in California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

United States Measles Outbreaks 2022

According to the CDC, there were 121 measles cases in the US in 2022. Between 2000 and 2022, there was an 18% increase in estimated measles cases and a 43% increase in estimated measles deaths compared with 2021. The Health Department of the City of Columbus, Ohio, and Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) reported 85 confirmed measles cases in children, with 80 of the cases being unvaccinated and 36 resulting in hospitalization.

Measles Outbreak Costs

In April 2021, the journal Pediatrics published a study indicating that treatment costs were $47,479 per hospitalized case during a measles outbreak. In January 2020, Clinical Infectious Diseases published a meta-analysis estimating the median price per hospitalized measles case at $32,805.

Measles Testing

After MMR vaccination, syndromic panels can detect the measles vaccine virus, which is not transmitted to others and does not cause disease in immunocompetent persons. The US CDC reported in March 2024 that among syndromic test panels conducted by a commercial laboratory, approximately 1% were positive for measles. Patients who received these results were children without known measles risk factors who had been vaccinated against measles; the majority <3 Weeks previously. Their results were attributed to the detection of the measles vaccine virus.