Measles cases in the US nearly doubled last year

According to data from Johns Hopkins University tracking measles cases in the country, 4,020 cases have been recorded across the country since the beginning of 2026.

While a total of 2,286 measles cases were detected last year, the number of cases seen in the first 10 months of this year almost doubled that of last year.

Since the beginning of this year, the most measles cases have been recorded in the states of Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Florida.

The highest number of measles cases were recorded in the state of Pennsylvania with 977, followed by South Carolina with 671 cases and Utah with 527 cases.

In addition to these states, Wisconsin was among the states where the disease was most prevalent with 234, Ohio 201, Texas 192, Virginia 179 and Florida 151 cases.

measles

Fever and a red, slightly raised rash can be observed in people affected by measles, a highly contagious disease that is transmitted mainly through the air when tiny droplets containing the virus are released when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.

While some measles patients may develop complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea or inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), this carries the risk of even causing brain damage.

While severe cases of measles can lead to hospitalization and even death, medical experts emphasize that the best way to prevent contracting the disease is a measles vaccine.