Measles has hit Missouri: First case of year confirmed, according to officials
The first confirmed case of measles in the state of Missouri has been found in a visitor of the southwestern part of the state, according to the state Department of Health.
The case is from a child who is visiting Taney County, associated with recent international travel. The child’s vaccination status has not yet been verified, the department said in a news release Friday.
There is no indication of widespread exposure since the child was diagnosed soon after arriving in Taney County, the release said. Exposure is believed to be limited, and known contacts have been identified and contacted.
Taney County, where most of the city of Branson resides, is about 4 hours south of Kansas City.
Measles outbreaks locally and nationwide
This case comes a day after Kansas City health officials warned city councilors that the disease may hit the area soon.
Kansas City has not had a case of measles since 2019, according to local health officials. Officials also said the metro falls short of having herd immunity from the disease. Health officials have stated that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and effective.
On Wednesday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 37 positive cases of measles, an increase from 32 cases a week ago, according to the 2025 Kansas Measles Outbreak Dashboard. Most of those cases are mainly driven by unvaccinated children and teens.
Measles cases have been reported in eight Kansas counties, mostly in the southwestern part of the state: Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Haskell, Kiowa, Morton and Stevens counties.
As of April 18, the number of confirmed measles cases jumped to 800, up from 607 reported two weeks ago and 712 reported last week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
About 31% of the cases involve children under 5 years, 38% involve children and teens between 5 and 19, and 29% involve adults.
There have been 80 hospitalizations, or 11% of all cases, and three deaths, two confirmed and one that remains under investigation.
Only 2% of the cases involved people who were fully vaccinated.
In 96% of the cases, patients were unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown.
Measles is being reported in 25 states and New York City: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
In 2024, there were 285 total cases nationwide with no deaths reported by the CDC.
The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this reporting.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 8:15 PM.