Measles outbreak hits the new 33-year height, says the CDC
The outbreak of measles has reached new highs, with over 1,300 cases reported in 2025 so far. Finally, the infection was in 1992.
The US measles infection has hit new highs since the disease was declared eradicated in 2000, surpassing 1,500 cases on September 24th, occurring in parts of Utah and Arizona, public health officials said.
As of September 24, a total of 1,514 confirmed cases of measles have been confirmed in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most cases are related to large outbreaks in West Texas, but other outbreaks and cases occur during community communication and travel in other states.
In recent months, cases have been steadily increasing in parts of Utah and Arizona. As of September 24, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services had confirmed 42 cases, with most infections concentrated in southwestern Utah near the Arizona Line.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Department of Health Services has recorded 52 measles cases as of September 23rd. Of these, 48 were reported in Mojave County. This is a rural area in northern Arizona, with outbreaks at its heart.
“We hope that as measles spreads to the United States, more travelers will come to Utah,” the Utah Department of Health and Human Services advised on its website. “Vaccinations continue to be the best protection against measles.”
Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease that was declared excluded in the United States in 2000. In other words, there was no spread, and new cases were contracted only from overseas. However, with an increase in parents who are exempt from children from receiving mandatory vaccinations, lower vaccination rates have led to an increase in the number of states no longer reporting a proportion consistent with herd immunity and recovery infections.
Measles Case in Utah, Arizona
The outbreak of measles in Arizona began in and around the city of Colorado in Mojave County, according to the Republic of Arizona, part of the USA Today Network. The town is particularly well known for its Mormon fundamentalism and polygamy and its connections to the neighbouring city of Hildale, Utah.
Last week, the Republic of Arizona reported that the outbreak had more than four times as much as a month. Before this year’s outbreak, state records showed that Arizona has not had more than 46 measles cases in a year since 1991, according to newspapers.
In August, the Moharb County Public Health Department announced that potential exposures may have occurred between August 2 and August 7 in both Arizona and Utah. The state health department advised residents of Colorado and surrounding areas to be informed of the disease as they are “currently active” within the community.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services reported that he traveled to southwestern Utah in May in June and visited public places after contracting measles. The Southwest Utah public health department then said in July that the area had “abnormally high” cases of measles and pertussis.
By September, exposure locations in southwestern Utah included high school events, local festivals and restaurants, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Health officials in both Utah and Arizona are urging residents to get the measles vaccine.
US measles cases reach new heights
Of the 1,514 confirmed measles cases, 1,493 were recorded in 41 states, according to the CDC. A total of 21 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the US.
The last outbreak of a similar scale occurred in 2019 when 1,274 confirmed cases nationwide. By July 2025, 1,288 measles cases had been confirmed, exceeding the number.
The CDC noted that 40 outbreaks were reported in 2025, with 86% (1,307 cases) of confirmed cases being associated with the outbreak. An outbreak is defined as three or more related cases.
Of the 1,514 cases, 27% occurred in patients under 5 years of age, and 39% reported between ages 5 and 19 years of age. They also reported 185 patients hospitalised, including 88 patients under the age of five.
The CDC said 92% of measles cases in the country are patients who have not been vaccinated or have had an unknown condition. In West Texas, there were three confirmed deaths, including two children.
West Texas is the epicenter of the US measles incident, with over 760 confirmed cases by August. More than two-thirds of the infection occurred in children, with over 94% of cases in people who were not vaccinated.
On August 18, the Texas Department of Health declared that the Western Texas outbreak had ended, saying it had more than 42 days, or two periods of incubation.
The best protection against measles is the MMR vaccine
Measles is highly contagious and can spread if an infected person coughs or sneezes, the CDC said. Also, breathing contaminated air can cause people to remain infected for up to two hours or by touching their mouth, eyes, or nose after contact with contaminated surfaces.
According to the CDC, symptoms of measles usually appear 7-14 days after contact with the virus and generally include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. Measles rash appears 3-5 days after the onset of the initial symptoms.
Complications of measles include ear infections, hearing loss, pneumonia, croup, diarrhea, blindness and swelling of the brain, the CDC said. Even healthy children can cause serious illness and death.
In pregnant women who are not vaccinated, measles can cause premature birth or low-capacity babies.
The CDC estimates that about one in five people who have not been vaccinated in the US who have received measles will need to be hospitalized. Health experts emphasize that the best protection against illness is a vaccine that is administered alone or as part of a measles-Munz-Rubella (MMR) shot or as part of a measles-Munz-Rubella-Baricera (MMRV) vaccine.
Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide 97% protection against the virus, according to the CDC. Children usually receive the vaccine first when they are 12-15 months old and receive it again at age 4-6.
According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, adults born before 1957 are likely to have had measles as children, and are therefore presumed to have immunity.
Contributions: Adrianna Rodriguez, Janet Loehrke, Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today. Stephanie Innez, Republic of Arizona
