Two unrelated outbreaks in rural Minnesota counties have driven a sharp rise in measles cases, with all those infected unvaccinated and no cases linked to international travel.
Minnesota has confirmed 42 measles cases so far in 2026, with most of the recent increase tied to two separate outbreaks in rural counties, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. The state said on October 15 that 25 cases had been identified in Todd and Fillmore counties since mid-September, and 23 of those were reported in the previous three weeks. All of the people affected in those two clusters were unvaccinated.
Todd County, in central Minnesota, now has 19 cases, the most in the state, while Fillmore County, in the south-east, has six. State officials say the outbreaks are unrelated, and health department data show that the remaining cases are scattered across other parts of Minnesota, including Anoka, Hennepin, Wright, Dakota and Polk counties. Officials have classified every measles case in the state this year as acquired within the United States, with none traced to international travel.
The pattern marks a shift from earlier years, when many measles cases in Minnesota were linked to travel from abroad. Jayne Griffith, a senior epidemiologist with the health department, told MPR News that the state is now seeing “people just getting infected in the United States”. She also warned that more cases could emerge, because measles can take up to three weeks to show symptoms after exposure.
Public health officials point to low vaccination coverage as the main reason the virus is finding room to spread. According to state data cited by MPR News, Todd County has the lowest measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rate in Minnesota for children born in 2023. In Fillmore County, health data reported by KTTC showed that just 66.7% of children born in 2023 had received the MMR vaccine by age 2, down from 74.5% among children born in 2022. The county also ranked near the bottom of the state for childhood vaccination coverage, with a 2025-26 kindergarten rate of 83.5% fully immunised and 5.5% holding a non-medical exemption.
Those figures remain well below the roughly 95% coverage public health experts say is needed to keep measles from circulating in a community. The virus spreads through the air and can linger in a room for as long as two hours after an infected person leaves. Early symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash that usually starts at the hairline and spreads downward. Parents and caregivers are being urged to check vaccination records, especially for children too young to have received both recommended doses, and to call ahead before seeking care if measles is suspected.
Minnesota health officials say no one in the state has been hospitalised with measles this year, although some patients have required emergency-room treatment. Nationally, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had counted 4,080 confirmed cases as of October 8, far above last year’s total of 2,289 and the highest annual figure since 1991, according to reporting by MPR News. With incubation periods still running and exposure sites not yet fully disclosed, the health department says further cases remain possible in the weeks ahead.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
