Chicago reports first measles case since 2019

The Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed a single case of measles in the city Thursday, the first since 2019.

People who were at these locations on Feb. 27 may have been exposed and should call the health department at (312) 743-7216:

8:30 a.m.-noon at Swedish Hospital’s Galter Medical Pavilion9:15-11:30 a.m. on CTA bus No. 92 (Foster)

The health department is finding those who may have been exposed to the person with measles. The person with the confirmed case was recovering well and their infectious disease period ended Wednesday, Block Club Chicago reported.

The health department was investigating a case of measles in February of a northwest Indiana resident who was in Chicago. There were no additional exposures located in Chicago or Illinois, the health department said in a statement Feb. 23. The latest case does not appear to be linked to the Indiana one, the health department said.

Measles is a serious respiratory infection that causes a rash and high fever and is capable of leading to pneumonia and other complications. It’s rare in Chicago due to high vaccination rates, health officials say, but is highly contagious and can be dangerous to those who aren’t vaccinated, especially babies and young children.

Up to nine out of 10 people with close contact to someone with measles will develop measles, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.

Measles can be prevented with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR). The vaccine is the best protection against measles for people of all ages, according to the health department.

Three new measles cases were reported in Michigan on Thursday. A total of 41 measles cases were reported in 16 states as of Feb. 29, according to the CDC. In 2023, the total for the year was 58 cases.