Four more cases of measles have been confirmed in Maine, bringing the total number to five.
The new cases are all in Penobscot County where the first case since 2019 was confirmed earlier this month in a person who had traveled to Maine from a state with measles cases, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Maine CDC said no new exposure locations are associated with the new diagnoses, and there are no new exposure risks to the public.
As of Feb. 13, there have been 910 confirmed measles cases reported nationwide this year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly all of them have been in unvaccinated people.
Last year a total of 2,280 cases were confirmed by the U.S. CDC. At the current rate, the U.S. would triple that number in 2026.
On Tuesday, the Maine CDC launched a public measles dashboard for tracking case and outbreak numbers along with counties where cases have been identified.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. If one person has it, 90% of people close to that person who are not immune will become infected, according to the Maine CDC. It can cause severe sickness including pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling), and death.
Symptoms include:
Fever
Cough
Runny nose
Red, watery eyes
Rash that spreads from the head down
People who develop symptoms are advised to contact their health provider for instructions before going to the provider’s office or a hospital to prevent the spread of further infection.
More information is available on the Maine CDC’s measles webpage, the U.S. CDC’s measles webpage, and the Maine Immunization Program webpage.
