First Missouri measles case of the year confirmed
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A case of measles has been confirmed in a southwest Missouri county and is tied to international travel, according to state health officials.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Friday that a child who traveled to Taney County has contracted measles. The child’s vaccination status has not been verified, officials said. This is Missouri’s first confirmed case of measles in 2025.
“Exposure is believed to be limited, and known contacts have been identified and contacted,” the release said. “DHSS is supporting the Taney County Health Department in the disease investigation and advising individuals with possible exposure.”
This comes amid a rise in measles cases across the United States, particularly in areas with lower vaccination rates, including parts of Texas.
Amruta Padhye, an infectious disease specialist with MU Health Care, said measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious health problems, especially in certain vulnerable groups.
“When we think about the virus, we think about what complications, how it can affect the health of people,” Padhye said. “So the highest risk groups for complications are young kids, less than five years of age, and also adults as well, greater than 20 years of age, pregnant women and immunocompromised persons.”
Padhye said that nationally, hospitalization is required in about one-in-five measles cases.
“If you look at the numbers from the CDC that reported about 800 cases of measles, of confirmed cases, the number of hospitalizations have been like approximately 11%,” she said.
Measles usually starts with flu-like symptoms, a fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. According to DHSS, symptoms typically appear seven-to-14 days after exposure. White spots may show up inside the mouth two or three days after symptoms begin, followed by a red, blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads.
Austin Krohn, a spokesperson for Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services, said the arrival of measles in Missouri was anticipated.
“It was pretty much only a matter of time before this measles outbreak came to Missouri,” Krohn said. “It is pretty dangerous, especially for children that are under five years old. We're looking at high fever, cough, runny nose, that kind of trademark rash kind of thing going on.”
He also noted that the virus can lead to additional complications depending on the individual’s overall health.
“Complications can also arise depending on other health conditions the person may have or ear infections, diarrhea and syphilis, which is like brain inflammation, and pneumonia can also arise,” Krohn said.
Krohn emphasized that nearly all children should receive the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, unless they qualify for a religious or medical exemption.
“The only reason you should not have your child vaccinated for measles is either if you have some kind of religious exemption or there's some kind of preexisting health condition that would conflict with the MMR vaccine, which I can't think of any off the top of my head,” he said. “But those would be the two reasons to not get the vaccine.”
He also pushed back against information connecting the MMR vaccine to autism.
Krohn said that although the anti-vaccine movement has gained some traction, “there is no scientific basis for the MMR vaccine causing autism.”
Health experts are encouraging Missourians to check their immunization status amid the rising number of cases. Padhye said local and national awareness is important, even in areas like Boone County, which had a 95% kindergarten MMR vaccination rate in 2023 and 2024.
“I think even though we in our county may have good vaccination rates, I think being aware of rates in our state and in specific pockets that may be under-immunized is important,” Padhye said. “So I think we should all be on a level of alert and awareness about the disease.”
She added that with more cases spreading across the country, it’s important for people to stay informed.
“We should all be on a level of being aware about the disease, being aware about our need for knowing what your immunization status is,” Padhye said.
Anyone who believes they’ve been exposed to measles should isolate themselves and contact a health care provider for testing, according to DHSS. The department says vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent infection.
