DETROIT — Health officials have confirmed a measles outbreak in Washtenaw County, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.

A measles outbreak is defined as three or more related cases of measles, and three linked cases have been reported since March 12 in Washtenaw County, MDHHS said in a press release. Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that spreads through direct person-to-person contact and through the air, according to the department.

MDHHS said that there are no new public exposure sites to report in Michigan.

"As previously noted by Washtenaw County Health Department, the initial Michigan measles case was associated with travel to Florida," MDHHS said. "The additional cases linked to this outbreak demonstrate how quickly measles can spread among individuals who are not immune to the virus."

Health officials are urging families to ensure they are up to date on all vaccines, particularly if they are traveling, as more than 1,350 cases of measles have been recorded across 31 states during the first three months of 2026, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said.

“Measles cases are spreading like wildfire this year, and with families traveling over spring break the risk of exposure increases,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive, in the press release. “In this case, what happens on spring break does not stay on spring break. Measles is incredibly transmissible and can easily travel home with us, infecting others in our schools and communities."

Bagdasarian said the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine remains "our best defense," and two doses of MMR offer 97% protection against measles.

MDHHS said that vaccine uptake in Michigan has continued to drop over the past year, leaving more children and young adults vulnerable to the virus, which can cause hospitalization, brain swelling, pneumonia and even death.

“Our team is working very hard to contain this outbreak as much as possible,” said Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, Washtenaw County Health Department medical director, said in the release. “It saves valuable time and resources when people are fully protected through vaccination and allows us to focus where people may be vulnerable because they’re too young for vaccination, immunocompromised or pregnant.”

MDHHS said measles symptoms usually appear seven to 14 days after contact with the virus but can take up to 21 days to appear. Measles can be spread by an infected individual before they show symptoms.

Common symptoms of the disease include high fever (it may spike to over 104 degrees); cough; runny nose; red, watery eyes; tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth; and a rash, MDHHS said. The rash starts as flat red spots on the face at the hairline and then spreads to the trunk, arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin. Small, raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.

MDHHS is urging people who think they may have been exposed, or who develop symptoms, to call their health care provider before seeking testing or treatmentso steps can be taken to prevent exposure to other individuals.

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