Measles case confirmed in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – A student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has been confirmed to be infected with measles, making this the first case in Dane County this year.

Health officials say the student contracted the illness during international travel and visited several UW-Madison campus locations.

Health officials are now contacting all those who may have been exposed by interacting with the student. If you visited those locations, check your measles-mumps-rubella vaccine status immediately.

As of last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed 416 measles cases nationwide this year, nearly 20% of the 2025 case total. The other states with confirmed cases in 2026 are: California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington.

Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. A vaccine can prevent it.

Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash. Most people recover, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.

The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more related cases.

Last year was the nation’s worst year for measles spread since 1991, according to the CDC. The U.S. confirmed 2,255 cases and nearly 50 different outbreaks. Three people died, all of them unvaccinated, including two children in Texas.