Health
Illinois Health Officials Confirm State’s First Measles Case of 2025
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A measles case involving an adult in southern Illinois has been confirmed by state health officials, making it the first confirmed measles case in the state this year, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Wednesday.
The case in Illinois is not considered an outbreak, according to IDPH, and the risk of measles transmission for the general public in the state remains low. Most people are vaccinated routinely in childhood and are not at high risk of measles, according to the department.
IDPH officials said they are working with local health officials to identify potential exposure locations and potential exposed patients at the clinic in southern Illinois where the patient with measles sought care.
The measles case was confirmed through laboratory testing on Wednesday, according to IDPH.
“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 in a statement.
The case comes as 800 cases of measles have been confirmed nationwide so far this year, which is nearly three times the number of cases the U.S. had for all of 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of late last week.
The nationwide cases have mostly been driven by an outbreak in Texas that has seen 624 confirmed measles cases since late January, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services as of Tuesday.
Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in Texas, and an adult who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness in New Mexico.
People who have not been vaccinated, including infants and those who can’t get vaccinated because of other health concerns, are of most concern of getting measles, according to IDPH. The state health department advises people to check vaccination records when traveling internationally or to a U.S. state with a measles outbreak.
Anyone exposed and not immune to measles should stay alert for any symptoms such as rash, high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, according to IDPH. People should notify their local health department if they become symptomatic.
Earlier this month, IDPH unveiled a Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard for residents to find out the measles vaccination rate in any public or private school in Illinois.
Illinois has had no other reported cases of measles since an outbreak in Chicago in early 2024 that resulted in 67 cases, according to IDPH.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
