Cook County health officials report two new measles cases
CHICAGO (WGN) — Health officials in Cook County have confirmed two additional cases of measles, bringing the state's total reported cases to three.
The Chicago Department of Public Health and the Cook County Department of Public Health announced on Wednesday that one case involves a suburban resident, whose vaccination status is unknown. The second case involves a Chicago resident who, according to health officials, traveled internationally through O'Hare International Airport in early April.
'The individual had one prior dose of MMR vaccine,' health officials added.
Both patients have been isolated since being diagnosed.
In response to the confirmed cases, health officials listed the following points of potential exposure:
Monday, April 21: Chicago Public Library – Independence Branch, 4024 N. Elston Ave.
Monday, April 21: Fittingly Delicious, 3939 W. Irving Park Rd.
Tuesday, April 22: O'Hare Airport, 10 a.m.–8 pm, especially Terminal 1
Wednesday, April 23: O'Hare Airport, 10 a.m.– 8 pm, especially Terminal 1
Friday, April 25: Aldi: 7235 39th St, Lyons, IL 6053, 10 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 27: Shell: 3901 S. Harlem Ave., Stickney, IL 60402, 10 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Monday, April 18: Mobil: 2945 S. Harlem Ave, Berwyn, IL 60402, 10:20 a.m.-1 p.m.
More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch
The news comes one week after Illinois health officials reported the state's first case, which stemmed from a diagnosis downstate in Marion.
According to health officials, symptoms of measles include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Symptoms can appear anywhere from seven to 21 days after exposure.
Last year, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 67 cases.
Sign up for our Medical Watch newsletter. This daily update includes important information from WGN's Dina Bair and the Med Watch team, including, the latest updates from health organizations, in-depth reporting on advancements in medical technology and treatments, as well as personal features related to people in the medical field. Sign up here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
South Side boxing event aims to find cure for children's brain tumor
CHICAGO (WGN) — It's just about time to get ready to rumble for a good cause on the city's South Side. Dan Letz is the owner and operator of Letz Box Chicago—a pugilistic palace in Mount Greenwood. For the last several months, he's been training a good-hearted, fleet-footed field of warriors who are fighting to help find a cure for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), which is a brain tumor that can develop in the brainstem. 'It's horrific. It affects mainly children,' Katie Gaskin said. 'It's a tumor that grows within the brain stem, specifically in the ponds, and when a child is diagnosed with this, right now, they're really only given radiation as a treatment option and usually eight to 12 months to live.' Gaskin's son, Anthony, was 7 years old when he died from DIPG, just 19 months after his diagnosis. In memory of Anthony, who Gaskin described as an old soul who loved the Chicago Cubs, she started the Anthony's Avengers DIPG Foundation. Letz and Gaskin have partnered to host an event on Friday, June 13 at Saint Rita of Cascia High School in benefit of Anthony's Avengers and their mission to find a cure. Starting at 7 p.m., the St. Rita Mustang's football field will be transformed into a boxing ring under the Friday night lights of a different sort. 19-year-old Julian 'J-Dog' Guzman, a University of Illinois-Chicago student studying architecture, is one of those boxers training under Letz who aim to lend a hand, while also landing a punch. 'I'm feeling good. I'm ready to put on a performance,' Guzman said. 'I've been training hard. I'm ready to put on in the ring.' All money raised by Anthony's Avengers during the event will go to DIPG cure research. For more information on Anthony's Avengers and the fight to cure DIPG, visit the organization's website: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Marbles in the rear ends of cats': WGN fact checks Hegseth's claim
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's testimony before the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday took an unexpected twist when he mentioned cats, marbles, and medical research. Hegseth was facing questions from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) about cuts to the Defense Department's medical research budget when he made a startling claim: 'We're talking about some stuff I shouldn't, shouldn't say in public, you know, marbles in the rear ends of cats, tens of millions of dollars,' Hegseth told Illinois' senior U.S. senator. Hegseth referred to the research as a 'boondoggle.' WGN Investigates: Investigating public corruption, crime & fraud Durbin immediately fired back, asking whether Hegseth's claim was similar to unproven tales told by President Donald Trump and his DOGE team about people hundreds of years old still receiving Social Security checks in their name. The research Hegseth appears to be referencing was money awarded in 2020, during President Trump's first term, to reimburse the University of Pittsburgh $10M for research to 'develop revolutionary new treatment approaches for spinal cord injuries.' The contract award is available on the Department of Defense website. Hegseth's claim about marbles being inserted into the rear ends of cats is correct, but lacks all context. Soldiers – or anyone else – who suffer severe spinal cord injuries can lose control of their bowels. The study used anesthetized cats as test subjects to study the impact of a new procedure to restore functionality in the sphincter and rectum. The marbles were meant to simulate defecation and determine whether a procedure restored control in test subjects. The results were encouraging, according to the American Journal of Physiology. '[The] study indicates the possibility to develop a novel…device to restore defecation function after spinal cord injury using a minimally invasive surgical approach.' Read more: Latest Chicago news and headlines Durbin said Hegseth's proposed budget cuts two-thirds of funding for the Defense Department's medical research. Hegseth countered that his team was targeting 'waste, fraud, and abuse' and would not cut funding for programs that benefit members of the military. He previously announced $5 billion in cuts across the entire Department of Defense. 'The Defense Department has been a place where organizations, entities, and companies know they can get money almost unchecked, whether or not it actually applies to things that happen on the battlefield,' Hegseth told Durbin. 'That's just that's what we worked very hard to find in ways that other secretaries have not.' After the hearing, a spokesperson for Sen. Durbin told WGN: 'While Secretary Hegseth attempted to distract from the larger issue with his comment about marbles and cats, here are just a few examples of DoD research contracts that have been canceled or frozen under this Administration: new breast cancer and prostate cancer therapies, which would help afflicted service members; improved protective gear to defend soldiers against projectiles and chemical threats; advanced materials for more durable and lightweight aircraft parts—and the list goes on. Do these sound like 'boondoggles' to you?' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Third case of measles in Iowa this year reported by HHS
DES MOINES, Iowa — On Wednesday afternoon Iowa Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it's confirmed a third case of measles in the state this year. Iowa HHS said the case was confirmed in an unvaccinated child in eastern Iowa. The child was exposed to the virus during international travel. According to Iowa HHS, the child did visit different public areas in eastern Iowa while contagious, including a Costco, Walmart, and Marshalls. To learn more about those locations visit the HHS website. A new rhino is calling Blank Park Zoo home On Tuesday, HHS reported the second confirmed measles case in the state. The case also occurred in eastern Iowa in a vaccinated adult male, however HHS said that the cases confirmed so far are not related. As of Wednesday, there have been three confirmed cases of measles in Iowa. The first case was reported in May in an unvaccinated adult female in central Iowa. Measles is a highly contagious, and potentially deadly disease. According to HHS the most effective way to prevent the disease is through the MMR vaccine. To learn more about the disease, vaccine, and symptoms visit the HHS website. Iowa News: Iowa governor rejects GOP bill to increase regulations of Summit's carbon dioxide pipeline Third case of measles in Iowa this year reported by HHS Greene County growing diversity with Multicultural Family Resource Center Another grooming arrest for Indianola man who had EMT license suspended Hot today with slight storm chances ahead Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
