Measles cases in 2025 have officially surpassed previous years, making this outbreak the worst since its eradication in 2000. There have been 1,277 cases reported as of the time of reporting, halfway through 2025, surpassing the number of recorded cases for all of 2019, which stands at 1,274.
This recent outbreak has led to 155 hospitalizations, including three deaths, across 431 adults and 824 children. The majority of cases are linked to an outbreak in Western Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Measles is considered to be one of the most contagious diseases, with one in five people who contract the disease ending up in the hospital. As of July 5th, 39 states have confirmed measles cases. Within Texas, the hardest hit state for the recent measles outbreak, 36 counties have confirmed cases, with two measles cases ending in the deaths of school-age children since January of this year.
Measles symptoms take anywhere between 7-14 days (a week to two weeks) to surface after exposure to the virus. Symptoms include high fever, runny nose, and cough, with the notable rash appearing 3-5 days after the symptoms.
Healthcare experts warn that this year’s outbreak is much worse than reports say, claiming many cases are unreported, leading to a severe undercount. A growing antivaccination movement has led to increased spread of the virus, with all three deaths from measles cases being in unvaccinated children and adults. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which was used to eradicate the virus with the U.S. achieving the eliminated status in 2000, has been widely used in the U.S. since the 1970s. Prior to this year, there was an average of 180 measles cases every year.
