Kansas confirms 23 measles cases, Ohio has 10
Confirmed measles cases among mostly unvaccinated individuals in Kansas and Ohio raises to 18 the number of states with confirmed measles cases. Photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Lotz/U.S. Air Force
Kansas and Ohio health officials have confirmed several measles cases among mostly unvaccinated children and adults, as the total number of states reporting measles outbreaks reaches 18.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 10 confirmed measles cases and more than doubled that amount to 23 reported Wednesday, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported.
At least 20 of the 23 confirmed measles cases in Kansas are among those who are unvaccinated while another is pending vaccination status verification, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Another case is a person who is not appropriately vaccinated for that person’s age, and another is fully vaccinated, officials said.
Two of the measles cases are among adults over age 10;, 15 are among youth between ages 5 and 17; and six are among children between ages 0 and 4.
State health department records show Stevens and Kiowa counties each have six confirmed cases. Stevens County is southwestern Kansas along the state line with Oklahoma, and Kiowa County is in southwestern Kansas about 50 miles southeast of Dodge City.
The counties of Grant, Gray, Haskell and Morton each have between one and five confirmed cases and are located in southwestern Kansas, the department said.
None of the Kansas cases has required hospitalization, CBS News reported.
Single adult tied to all Ohio cases
The measles outbreak in Ohio is related to a single adult male who last week became the state’s first confirmed measles case of 2025 and recently had contact with someone who traveled internationally and was unvaccinated, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
All of Ohio’s confirmed cases are among unvaccinated individuals and are located within Ashtabula County, which is about 65 miles northeast of Cleveland along the Lake Erie shoreline.
“We’re disappointed, but not surprised, we now have several cases here in Ohio and known exposure in some counties,” health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said.
“Measles is especially dangerous for young children, so I strongly urge all parents across Ohio to make sure your children are vaccinated,” he said. “It is a crucial layer of protection that can save lives.”
Texas, New Mexico especially burdened
The outbreaks in Kansas and Ohio come after Texas reported more than 300 cases of measles and New Mexico reported the nation’s first death from measles this year.
Measles cases have been confirmed in 18 states located from Alaska to Florida, mostly among unvaccinated people living in communities with relatively low levels of measles vaccinations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC says at total of 378 measles cases have been confirmed in the United States, but is aware of other cases that are yet to be confirmed.
About 90%, 341 of 378, of those measles cases are associated with existing outbreaks, and 95% are among unvaccinated individuals or those whose vaccination status is unknown.
The number of confirmed outbreaks this year is significantly higher than in 2024, when 285 measles cases were confirmed across 33 states, including 198, 69%, associated with outbreaks, according to the CDC.
In addition to the known measles death in New Mexico, a second death is under investigation to determine if measles was the cause.
Measles is an airborne and extremely infectious disease that is potentially deadly and causes a severe rash, according to the CDC. It is especially harmful for children.
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is effective at preventing measles infections, and communities are considered to have achieved herd immunity when at least 97% of its residents are fully vaccinated, according to the National Institutes of Health.