Measles-infected toddler may have exposed churchgoers, students, MI officials say
A 1-year-old child with measles may have exposed others to the disease at a restaurant, grocery store, church and a college campus, Michigan officials say.
The Ingham County Health Department announced April 14 a 1-year-old girl who had recently traveled outside the state has been infected with the highly contagious virus.
The health department did not say where the child had traveled.
The case is one of more than 700 confirmed measles cases nationwide, according to the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. Michigan reported its first case in March.
County officials say the toddler may have exposed people in and around Lansing from April 4 to April 8.
Friday, April 4:
▪ 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Tractor Supply Co., 5241 W. Grand River Ave. in Lansing
Saturday, April 5:
▪ 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Farmers Market inside Meridian Mall, 1982 W. Grand River Ave. in Okemos
▪ 2:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. at Aldi, 5165 Marsh Road in Okemos
Sunday, April 6
▪ 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Towar Hart Baptist Church, 6157 Towar Ave. in East Lansing. The child was in the infant room during service.
▪ Toscana Restaurant, 3170 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing
Tuesday, April 8
▪ 5:30 p.m. - 7:35 p.m. at Michigan State University’s Community Music School, 4930 Hagadorn Road in East Lansing. The child was in a bathroom.
▪ 6 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. at University of Michigan Health - Sparrow Lansing, 1215 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing.
What to know about measles
Measles is known to cause “serious health complications,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says children under 5 are most susceptible.
“Measles is highly contagious. If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected,” the agency said.
Symptoms of the viral infection include high fever, cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes, and rash, according to the CDC. More severe complications include ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia and encephalitis.
Of the 712 total cases in the U.S. in 2025, 32% (225) are of children under the age of 5. People ages 5 to 19 make up 38% (274) of cases.
The majority of the cases are in Texas, where 541 people have become infected in 2025, according to the Associated Press. The AP reports 355 of those cases are in Gaines County, in the western part of the state.
There were 285 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. in all of 2024, according to the CDC.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said April 10 cases had begun to plateau, but cases were continuing to spread among unvaccinated individuals, the AP reported.
Measles was thought to be eradicated in the U.S., according to the World Health Organization. The sudden surge in cases was called an “unusual event” by the organization.