State health officials confirmed the first measles case of the year Wednesday, as outbreaks from the once-eradicated illness rage across several states.
Laboratory test results confirmed that the unidentified patient tested positive for measles Wednesday after they sought medical treatment in a southern Illinois health clinic, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The health department said they’re working with local health officials to identify all potential exposure locations involving the patient. The clinic in southern Illinois where the patient sought care is working to identify any possible exposed patients and check the immune status of those people, officials said.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines and had been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000. Symptoms of measles include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.
State public health officials recently unveiled an online dashboard tool that allows users to look up measles vaccination rates and data about the risk of outbreaks at individual schools across the state.
Illinois unveils online tool showing measles vaccination rates by school
Last year, Chicago saw its first measles case since 2019, which resulted in 67 cases, according to health officials.
The U.S. was up to 800 cases of measles nationwide as of Friday, as officials identified active outbreaks in west Texas, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Mexico. The U.S. has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024.
Despite the separate outbreaks, public health officials said the risk of measles transmission for the general public in Illinois remains low. The health department’s director, Dr. Sameer Vohra, stressed that vaccination is the best way to combat the potentially deadly infection.
“The key to preventing measles is the highly effective measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of measles vaccine are 97% effective in preventing measles,” Vohra said in the statement. “I recommend that our Illinois residents make sure that they and their family members are up to date on the MMR vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations.”
The Associated Press contributed.
