Where to Find Measles Cases in Your State
Contact your local or state health department immediately, as they maintain real-time surveillance data on all confirmed measles cases and are legally required to investigate and track every suspected case. 1
Primary Reporting System
State and local health departments routinely report measles case data to the CDC, which publishes this information weekly in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 1 This is the official national surveillance system for tracking measles cases across all states.
Measles is a reportable disease in all 50 states, meaning every suspected or confirmed case must be reported to public health authorities. 1 This mandatory reporting ensures comprehensive tracking of cases at both state and national levels.
How to Access State-Specific Data
Your state health department website will have the most current and geographically specific information about measles cases in your area. 1 Local health departments investigate each case immediately upon notification to classify the case, identify exposure sources, and prevent further spread.
The CDC's MMWR provides aggregated national data broken down by state, which you can access through the CDC website. 1 During 2019, for example, 1,249 measles cases were reported across multiple states, with the majority concentrated in New York. 2
Why Immediate Contact Matters
One confirmed measles case constitutes an urgent public health emergency requiring immediate investigation and control measures. 3, 4 Health departments need to rapidly identify all potential exposures and implement containment strategies.
Measles has an approximately 90% attack rate in susceptible household contacts, making rapid case identification and contact tracing critical. 2 The disease is contagious from 4 days before through 4 days after rash appearance. 4
Recent Surveillance Trends
The United States experienced 288 confirmed cases through May 2014 (the highest since elimination was declared in 2000), 5 1,249 cases in 2019, 2 and continues to see sporadic outbreaks linked to international travel and unvaccinated populations.
Most recent outbreaks have been associated with imported cases from endemic areas, with secondary transmission occurring primarily among unvaccinated individuals. 5, 6, 2 In 2019,89% of measles patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. 2