INDIANAPOLIS (WLS) — The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting the first case of measles in the state in 2025.
The patient is an adult in far southern Illinois.
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The clinic where the patient got care is working to identify if anyone else was exposed.
This is the first known measles case in Illinois since an outbreak in Chicago early last year that led to 67 cases.
Earlier this month, Indiana health officials announced at least six cases in Allen County, which is in the area around Fort Wayne.
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Measles is highly contagious, and is spread when an infected person sneezes or coughs.
Illinois officials said the risk of measles transmission for the general public in Illinois remains low.
IDPH has been closely monitoring the outbreak in Texas and New Mexico that has resulted in more than 680 confirmed cases, including three deaths, two of them children. Nationally, the CDC is reporting 800 cases of measles have been confirmed in more than 25 jurisdictions around the United States, more than double the national total in 2024.
“This first reported case of measles in Illinois in 2025 is a reminder to our Illinois residents that this disease can be prevented with up-to-date vaccination,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said.
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