HEALTH ALERT - Increase in Measles Cases

Situation:

As of 29 January 2026, officials at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported 588 confirmed measles cases in the United States, with two new outbreaks being reported in January. States that have reported confirmed cases include Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. For perspective, there were 2,267 total cases for 2025.  To date, current global figures are not available, though the disease remains widespread and worldwide cases have increased. As of November 2025, the top 10 countries with measles outbreaks according to the World Health Organization (WHO) included: Indonesia, Yemen, Mongolia, Pakistan, India, Angola, Nigeria, Mexico, Russia and Laos.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread through breathing, coughing and sneezing and can live in the air and on surfaces for up to 2 hours.

Symptoms & Prevention: 

• Include high fever, cough, red and watery eyes, runny nose and rash.

• Symptoms appear 7-14 days after contact with the virus.

• Some people are at a higher risk of severe complications, such as blindness, pneumonia and encephalitis.

• Vaccination is recommended as the best way to protect against measles, and officials at the CDC recommend that all international travelers be fully vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

  • 94% of the cases reported by the CDC have not been vaccinated

Resources:

·       WHO Measles Fact Sheet

·       CDC Measles Resources

·       CDC Fact Sheet-Preventing Measles Before and After Travel

DISCLAIMER and Hold Harmless Disclaimer: LSDS™ gathers information from multiple sources and offers insight and perspective to travelers. Sources cannot be validated for accuracy in every instance. Travelers assume all risk associated with their travel and are responsible for the decisions associated with travel and for their own safety. Users of this reference document agree, to hold harmless LSDS™ (LLC) its employees and clients associated with any risk or injury incurred during travel.