Measles outbreaks grow in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia: What to know as U.S. cases top 2,700
The United States is deep into its worst measles year in more than three decades, and health officials are still watching the numbers climb. Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia are now juggling outbreaks that have grown in recent weeks, even as the national case count passes 2,700.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly all of the 2,700-plus cases reported in 2026 have been connected to outbreaks, a reminder of how easily the virus spreads in communities where vaccination coverage is low. The agency updates its totals weekly and cautions that the figures can lag behind state reporting; an update scheduled for Aug. 28 was delayed this week.
Here's what to know about the three states dealing with the latest flare-ups.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has reported the largest outbreak of the three. The state Department of Health counted 460 confirmed measles cases as of Aug. 28, including 86 new cases in the previous week. Lancaster County remains the epicenter, with 210 cases, and community transmission has now been documented in 10 counties. Butler and Westmoreland counties recently reported their first cases.
The state also announced the nation's first measles-associated deaths of 2026 on Aug. 25. One of the victims was a newborn. Both were unvaccinated. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has disputed whether measles was responsible for the deaths, but Pennsylvania officials say a death can be considered measles-associated when laboratory or epidemiological evidence ties the illness to the infection, even if measles is not listed as the immediate cause.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is dealing with its largest outbreak in decades. State health officials reported 98 cases tied to a cluster of infections in the southwest, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That's more than double the total from a week earlier.
The breakdown shows 52 cases in Iowa County, 43 in Lafayette County and three in Grant County. Combined with two unrelated infections earlier in the year, Wisconsin has now seen 100 measles cases in 2026, its highest annual total since 1990.
The CDC has deployed two public health workers to help local teams with contact tracing and case finding. State officials say nearly everyone infected in the outbreak was unvaccinated.
Georgia
Georgia health officials confirmed four new measles cases connected to a daycare in the metro Atlanta area. The children were close contacts of someone with a previously confirmed case and were either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated, according to state officials. Investigators are tracing other possible exposures.
Georgia's total for the year is now 11 cases, the second-highest annual count the state has recorded in the past decade.
The bigger picture
CDC data shows 94% of the measles cases reported in 2026 are associated with outbreaks, a sign of how quickly the virus can move through undervaccinated groups. Measles spreads through the air and can linger in a room for up to two hours after an infected person leaves.
Symptoms generally start with high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. A rash often follows three to five days later, beginning on the face and spreading downward. Health officials urge anyone who suspects measles to call a health care provider before going in person, so they don't expose other patients or staff.
The CDC continues to say the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect against measles.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at [email protected], or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Measles outbreaks grow in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia: What to know as U.S. cases top 2,700