Measles in Michigan: Montcalm County outbreak first in the state since 2019
Experts track Measles outbreak in Michigan
An outbreak is defined as three or more related case of measles. The MMDHD confirmed three cases in Montcalm County in the state's first outbreak since 2019. So far, there have been seven confirmed measles cases in Michigan in 2025.
MONTCALM COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Mid-Michigan District Health Department (MMDHD) have confirmed a measles outbreak in Montcalm County.
An outbreak is defined as three or more related case of measles. The MMDHD confirmed three cases in Montcalm County in the state's first outbreak since 2019.
So far, there have been seven confirmed measles cases in Michigan in 2025.
"This outbreak underscores how contagious measles is and how quickly it can spread," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. "The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine remains our best defense, and two doses of MMR offer 97% protection against measles. We urge all Michigan residents to check their vaccination records to ensure they are up to date with the MMR vaccine."
RELATED: Measles confirmed in 1-year-old Michigan girl
According to the MDHHS, the outbreak is linked to an ongoing outbreak in Ontario, Canada, and is not linked to any of th either confirmed cases in Michigan.
As of the outbreak, there are no other public exposure sites to report.
By the numbers:
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, with the CDC saying that if one person has the measles and is around 10 people who are not protected, 9 of those people will catch the virus.
It's especially severe in young infants and those with a compromised immune system – and can be deadly.
Symptoms include a respiratory illness with high fevers, tiredness, painful runny nose, cough and red eyes, followed by a rash. It an then lead to bacterial pneumonia, low oxygen levels that require hospital care and brain inflammation.
Measles can linger in the air for hours after an infected person was in the space. Corewell Health says the most recent outbreak is due to vaccination rates dipping below 95%.
The vaccination debate over measles
As cases of measles continue to rise across the US, public health officials want people to get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the highly contagious viral infection. But in a recent interview with FOX News, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says health officials in Texas, the location of a measles outbreak, are seeing very good results with patients who are using treatments like cod liver oil for those who have been infected.