A northern Arizona county is reporting 4 measles cases, the state's first in 2025
Health officials in Navajo County in northern Arizona say they've confirmed four measles cases, which are the first cases of the highly contagious respiratory virus in Arizona in 2025.
The announcement from the Navajo County Public Health Services District June 9 came amid a national surge of measles, with 1,168 cases reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as of June 6, which is more than four times the number reported during all of 2024.
Compounding the threat for Arizonans are recent cases in five neighboring states: California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah.
The four cases in Navajo County involve people who were not vaccinated against measles. The four were infected from a single source and have a recent history of international travel, health district officials say.
Public health officials are trying to identify locations where exposure may have happened and are in the process of identifying people who may have been exposed, the Navajo County health district said in a written statement. Officials estimate the "potential exposure" dates were between May 17 and May 28 and said anyone who may have been exposed should monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure.
Symptoms include a high fever of more than 101 degrees Fahrenheit, a cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes and a rash beginning at the head and spreading downward
A measles outbreak that began earlier this year in Texas killed two unvaccinated school-age children, resulted in 94 hospitalizations and totaled 742 cases overall.
In a related outbreak, New Mexico health officials as of June 3 reported 81 measles cases and the death of one adult who tested positive for measles.
Arizona is particularly vulnerable to a measles outbreak because community protection has been waning as an increasing number of parents and guardians are choosing not to vaccinate their children with the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine, known as MMR.
There likely are several reasons for the decline, including problems accessing the vaccine, vaccine skepticism and a lack of scientifically accurate education about the risks and benefits of immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles.
Measles can affect people of any age and cause an array of complications, including deafness, blindness and brain inflammation, in addition to death. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective in protecting against measles infection, evidence shows.
Reach health care reporter Stephanie Innes at Stephanie.Innes@gannett.com or follow her on X: @stephanieinnes.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona confirms 4 measles cases amid a national surge
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