Measles Outbreak Grows in Southwestern Wisconsin

Overview

• State health officials report 136 confirmed and six probable measles cases contained to Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties in southwestern Wisconsin.
• Nearly half of cases are school‑age children and 38.9% are adults, with four people hospitalized and no deaths reported.
• Local and state teams are conducting case interviews and contact tracing and notifying exposed people while investigators have not yet identified any public sites with untraceable exposure lists.
• Public‑health leaders point to low two‑dose MMR coverage in parts of the region as the key driver, noting two MMR doses are about 97% effective and 95% coverage is typically needed to prevent sustained spread.
• The outbreak comes during a large U.S. resurgence, with the CDC reporting roughly 3,134 cases nationwide, which officials say heightens the need for local vaccination clinics and school outreach to close immunity gaps.