Measles travel cases rise
- New measles cases were confirmed in Maryland and Arizona, linked to recent travel and local exposure sites. - Coconino County reported two more cases, bringing its 2026 total to four. - These dispersed, travel-linked infections highlight the administrative need for up‑to‑date vaccination records and exposure checks. (wusa9.com) (axios.com) (knau.org)
Measles cases tied to recent travel are surfacing in Maryland and Arizona, with health officials tracing exposures across airports, hospitals, sports venues and small-town businesses. (health.maryland.gov) Maryland reported its first measles case of 2026 on April 19 in a Baltimore-area resident who had recently traveled internationally. State officials said possible exposure sites included Baltimore/Washington International Airport, FastMed Urgent Care and Sinai Hospital. (health.maryland.gov) In Arizona, Maricopa County said on April 16 that it had confirmed its sixth measles case of 2026 in a county resident. The county said the new case was not linked to earlier cases and had no known source of exposure, with public exposure sites identified in Mesa and Queen Creek. (maricopa.gov) Farther north, Coconino County Health and Human Services said on April 17 that two more county residents had measles, raising that county’s 2026 total to four. Officials said possible exposures occurred at Em’s Cafe in Fredonia on April 6 and Kane County Hospital in Kanab, Utah, on April 13. (coconino.az.gov) Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and the virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after that person leaves, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coconino County said about 90 percent of unvaccinated people exposed to measles will become infected. (cdc.gov) (coconino.az.gov) The main protection is the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one dose is 93 percent effective against measles and two doses are 97 percent effective. (cdc.gov) Health departments in both states told people to check exposure dates and times, watch for symptoms and confirm that their vaccination records are current. Maryland said measles cases there had been sporadic before this report, with three cases in 2025, one in 2024, one in 2023 and none from 2020 through 2022. (health.maryland.gov) The cases are scattered rather than part of one declared multistate outbreak, but the public-health response looks similar each time: identify where the infected person went, notify people who may have crossed paths, and narrow the window for new infections before symptoms appear. (maricopa.gov) (coconino.az.gov) (health.maryland.gov)
