Measles Outbreaks

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Last reviewed

April 19, 2024

Fact checked by Robert Carlson, MD

Content Overview

Measles detected in Africa, Australia, England, Europe, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria, Paraguay, Samoa, and United States.

Measles Outbreaks Global 2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) European Region and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have reported over 30,000 measles cases in 2024. As of April 2024, 70% of measles cases have occurred in those under ten, and 78% were contracted outside their countries or due to imported cases. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) confirmed on Feb. 16, 2024, that the probability of exposure to the measles virus is expected to rise due to the increasing number of measles cases in Europe and globally. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed the top ten international measles outbreaks as of Apr. 12, 2024, led by Kazakhstan (27,280), Azerbaijan, Iraq, and India. The U.S. CDC republished a global Watch-Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Notice on Mar. 22, 2024, identifying measles outbreaks in 49 countries.

United States Measles Outbreaks 2024

From January 2020 to March 28, 2024, a total of 338 measles cases were reported in the U.S. The U.S. CDC says the increased number of measles cases is a global threat. As of Apr. 12, 2024, the CDC reported 121 measles cases in eighteen jurisdictions: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, New York State, Nevada, Ohio (Cincinnati), Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. About 56% of cases were hospitalized (68 of 121 cases) for management of measles complications. Seven outbreaks (defined as three or more related cases) have been reported in the U.S. during 2024.

As of Apr. 16, 2024, Illinois has reported 64 measles cases, including the Chicago Department of Public Health's 61 cases and in DuPage County. The New York State Department of Health confirmed the measles case in Nassau County on Mar. 26, 2024, and there have been four measles cases in NYC in 2024. As of March 30, 2024, six confirmed measles cases have been reported in California, including San Diego, Los Angeles County, and UC Davis.

The Florida Department of Health announced in March 2024 that ten measles cases had been reported in Broward County and a travel-related case in Central Florida (Polk Country). On Feb. 20, 2024, the Florida Department of Health in Broward County confirmed multiple measles cases (9) at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, Florida.

As of Feb. 29, 2024, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health reported a measles outbreak among unvaccinated residents had ended. Nine measles cases have been confirmed in Philadelphia locations but not Mongomery Country.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed measles cases in Washtenaw County and Oakland County (northwest of Detroit). These are the first documented cases of measles in Michigan since 2019. Indiana Department of Health announced on Feb. 23, 2024, the state's first measles case in 5 years, located in Lake County, which has a population of about 500,000. The Chicago Hospital Network reported one measles case with potential hospital staff exposures on Feb 23, 2024. The Minnesota Department of Health said its third measles case in 2024. The Louisiana Department of Health reported two individuals were diagnosed with measles and hospitalized at Children's Hospital New Orleans on Feb. 21, 2024. These measles cases are Louisiana's first since 2018. Ohio media reported two measles cases in greater Dayton in Montgomery County on Feb. 20, 2024. The Ohio Department of Health said its first measles case in Dayton on Feb. 3, 2024. On Feb. 22, 2024, the Maricopa County (Arizona) Department of Public Health confirmed a third measles case in Maricopa County (Phoenix). On Feb. 1, 2024, Maryland Department of Health and Montgomery County health officials announced one measles case in a resident who recently traveled internationally. New York State reported one measles case in New York City on Feb. 1, 2024.

On Jan. 13, 2024, the Virginia Department of Health was notified of a confirmed case of measles in a person who traveled through Northern Virginia airports (Dulles and Reagan) when returning from international travel on Jan. 4, 2024. On Jan. 13, 2023, the Camden County (N.J.) The Health Department announced that it was closely monitoring a confirmed case of measles in a child who attended daycare. The Clay County Public Health Center was notified of a confirmed case of measles in greater Kansas City, Missouri, resident who was at the Kansas City International Airport on Jan. 4 and North Kansas City Hospital from Jan. 5–6, 2024. On Jan. 11, 2024, the Delaware Division of Public Health reported a potential measles exposure at the Nemours Children's Hospital in Wilmington.

In Washington, six measles cases were confirmed in Clark and Wahkiakum counties in January 2024. In February 2024, Spokane Regional Health District confirmed one measles case.

A CBS News investigation revealed on Jan. 30, 2024, that at least 8,500 U.S. schools risk measles outbreaks in 2024 due to low vaccination rates. On Jan. 17, 2024, New York announced that a Nassau County midwife had provided fraudulent MMR vaccines and created false immunization records for roughly 1,500 school-aged children across 23 counties.

United States Measles Outbreaks 2023

The U.S. CDC reported 58 measles cases by 20 jurisdictions in 2023. The majority of these measles cases were related to unvaccinated international travelers located 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 U.S. in 2022. During 2000–2022, there was an 18% increase in estimated measles cases and a 43% increase in estimated measles deaths in 2022 compared with 2021. The Health Department of the City of Columbas, Ohio, and Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) reported that since June 2022, there have been (85) confirmed measles cases in children, of which (80) were unvaccinated and (36) were hospitalized as of Feb. 10, 2023. The National Wastewater Surveillance System included measles in 2020.

Africa Measles Outbreaks

The WHO AFRO reported in 2023, measles outbreaks were reported in Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Yemen, and Zambia. As of November 2023, Yeman's measles outbreak exceeded 26,000 cases.

Australia Measles Outbreaks 2024

NSW Health reported a second measles case related to international travel on Feb. 14, 2024. In Sydney, an infectious adult recently returned from southeast Asia. On Jan. 24, 2024, NSW Health advised people that one confirmed measles case in the Australian Capital Territory was infectious while transiting through Sydney. On Jan. 23, 2024, Victoria Health confirmed (Alert number 240124) a new measles case in a returned overseas traveler. NSW Health confirmed a local measles case in September 2022.

Canada Measles Outbreak 2024

The government of Canada is reporting measles cases in 2024. As of March 3, 2024, there are four measles cases (York Region), another four pending (Toronto), and cases in British Columbia. In early February, measles was detected in an unvaccinated child in Montreal. Canada's national vaccine coverage estimates for 2-year-olds in 2022 were similar in 2021 compared to 2019, with about 90% of children vaccine for measles, but 2% of 2-year-old children had not received any vaccine in their lifetime. In 2022, two measles patients were genotype B3.

Europe Measles Outbreaks 2024

The European CDC (ECDC) issued an epidemiological alert for measles outbreaks in 2024. Through Europe's measles epidemic, the ECDC has identified 4,694 new measles cases in 20 EU/EEA countries since the last monthly ECDC update, including reports on the ongoing outbreaks in Austria, Cyprus, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Romania. As of April 13, 2024, thirteen measles-related deaths have been reported in Romania (12) and Ireland (1). The WHO European Region reported over 42,200 measles cases by 41 of the 53 Member States in 2023.

Eurosurveillance published a Rapid Communication in February 2024, identifying three measles virus genetic mutations in 18 countries, resulting in a loss in polymerase chain reaction test sensitivity. These researchers said measles variants have been detected in 18 countries since 2021. On Feb. 15, 2024, Eurosurveillance reported that Italian researchers described five genotype D8 measles variant detections from areas in and around Milan, Italy. Genotypes B3 and D8 were identified in Canada in 2023.

India Measles Outbreaks

The U.S. CDC reported in September 2023 that India has said about 24,000 measles cases over the past year. The WHO announced in August 2023 that India had vaccinated over 348 million children between 2017 and March 2023.

New Zealand Measles Outbreaks 2024

RNZ reported on January 24, 2024, that 15 people who recently traveled to New Zealand had been exposed to a measles case in Australia. One of that group was quarantined.

Pan American Health Organization Measles Outbreaks 2024

In 2023, 14,884 suspected measles cases were reported. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) estimated in 2023 that more than 1.7 million children in 28 countries and territories of the Americas, Canada, Costa Rica, and Paraguay did not receive an initial dose of the measles vaccine by their first birthday. In 2024, the overall measles vaccination average for the Region of the Americas is 85% coverage for MMR1 and 70% for MMR2.

Philippines Measles Outbreaks

The Philippines Department of Health reported the ongoing measles outbreak reached over 2,500 in 2023. The Philippines reported 589 confirmed measles cases in 2022 and 206 cases in 2021.

United Kingdom Measles Outbreaks

In January 2024, the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declared a national measles incident in parts of England's West Midlands and London regions. From October 2023 through April 18, 2024, 1,109 laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been in England. During 2023, there were 368 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England.

On Feb. 7, 2024, Ireland's Health Services Executive (HSE) Health Protection Surveillance Centre was notified of the death of an adult with measles in the Dublin and Midlands Health Region. This is the first measles case notified in Ireland in 2024. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) recently reported three possible measles cases. Northern Ireland's Public Health Agency reported one measles case was diagnosed in February 2024.

Public Health Scotland reported "very few" measles cases in 2023.

Measles Outbreak Costs

The APA's journal Pediatrics published a study in April 2021 that indicates that during a measles outbreak in Washington, costs were $47,479 per case or $814 per contact. On January 22, 2020, Clinical Infectious Diseases published a meta-study that calculated the median price per measles case as $32,805 ($7,396-$76,154).

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 U.S. 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.