Michigan Dept of Health & Human Services sent this bulletin at 04/30/2025 10:15 AM EDT
The Michigan Update
Measles
Shannon Johnson, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Bureau of Infectious Disease Prevention
As of April 25, Michigan has reported nine confirmed measles cases in 2025. Five of these cases likely acquired their infections during international travel to areas with known measles activity, and four cases were due to transmission within the state. The Mid-Michigan District Health Department has declared a local measles outbreak in its jurisdiction. Local health jurisdictions, in collaboration with MDHHS, have been working to quickly investigate potential measles cases. This allows for the identification of sites where a measles exposure may have occurred, to perform contact tracing, monitoring, and testing to prevent transmission and additional cases. In some instances, this can result in the need for public health officials to follow-up with and monitor hundreds of exposed contacts.
Measles is a highly infectious viral respiratory illness that is spread through coughing or sneezing by a contagious person. Ninety percent of people who are exposed to measles and are not immune may become infected. Symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes that usually start seven to 14 days after exposure (up to 21 days after exposure) and last for three to five days before the rash appears. Infected people can spread measles from four days before the rash starts through four days afterward.
Cases are also increasing nationally. Between January 1 and April 17, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received 800 reports of confirmed cases of measles in 25 jurisdictions, with outbreaks currently accounting for more than 94% of U.S. cases. This surpasses the total number of 285 confirmed measles cases seen in the U.S. for all of 2024. Most of the current 2025 cases are among children and adolescents who had not received a measles vaccine or whose vaccination history was unknown. Two confirmed deaths from measles and one death under investigation have been reported in 2025: one in an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico and two in unvaccinated school-aged children in Texas.
Between October 18, 2024, and April 16, 2025, Public Health Ontario in Canada has reported 925 confirmed and probable measles cases associated with an ongoing outbreak in the province. During the week from April 9 to April 16, 2025, 109 new measles cases were reported in Ontario, with eight of those cases reported in Windsor, Ontario, located directly across the border from Detroit, Michigan. U.S. measles cases from several states, including Michigan, have been linked to the outbreak of measles in Ontario. This is the largest outbreak Canada has experienced since measles was eliminated in 1998.
The current increase in measles cases underscores the risk of measles infection in unvaccinated and under vaccinated individuals and groups, particularly in conjunction with attendance at large gatherings and when traveling to areas with active measles outbreaks. Local measles outbreaks can occur when infections are introduced to communities or populations with low immunization rates. With increasing travel in the spring and summer months, clinicians are encouraged to discuss vaccination status with their patients prior to travel. Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best way to prevent measles and possible complications associated with infection.
'On the precipice of disaster': Measles may be endemic in 25 years if vaccine uptake stays low, model predicts
Mary Van Beusekom, MS April 24, 2025, CIDRAP
Without a 5% higher measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination rate, measles may revert to endemicity in the United States within 25 years, while a 10% decline in vaccination could lead to 11.1 million cases of the highly contagious illness over that timeframe, according to predictions from a simulation model published today in JAMA.
Also today, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance warned that burgeoning outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases threaten to reverse years of progress.
In addition, a study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) details the ongoing U.S. measles outbreak, which has reached 800 cases.
What is the Michigan Transportable Emergency Surge Assistance (MI-TESA) Medical Unit?
The primary mission of the MI-TESA Medical Unit is to support a community through triage and treatment of patients. During an emergency event where a community’s existing medical capabilities are overwhelmed or compromised, mobile medical facilities offer an alternative to traditional healthcare.
MI-TESA has multiple configuration options, including a medical unit with up to 40 beds and a mobile shelter facility.
NACCHO Member Highlights Local Preparedness at Capitol Hill Briefing
In this week's News From Washington, National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) member Jennifer Greene participated in a briefing for Members of Congress and staff on Trust for America’s Health’s recent report on public health preparedness. Jennifer shared her expertise as Director and CEO of AppHealthCare, highlighting the critical role of local public health in responding to the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina and how AppHealthCare continues to support the recovery efforts of impacted communities. For more information, check out the report "Ready or Not 2025: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism.”
TEEX MGT-319: Point of Dispensing, Planning and Response
This two-day course will be hosted by the Kent County Health Department in September. The course serves as a guide for local health officials and their partners to coordinate plans for the mass distribution of medical countermeasures in response to a large-scale public health incident. This course focuses on planning considerations, recommendations for achieving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) 48-hour standard for Mass Prophylaxis, and the local community’s Mass Prophylaxis and Point of Dispensing (POD) site preparedness. The course material is applicable to pandemic influenza, bioterrorism, and other public health emergencies.
In-person September 17-18, 2025 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Kent County Health Department North County Training Room 4191 17 Mile Rd NE Cedar Springs, MI 49319
PER-410 Enhancing Planning, Preparedness, and Response to Pandemics and other Large Scale Public Health Emergencies
The goal of the course is to improve the ability of public, private, and nonprofit partners to establish more effective and coordinated preparedness and response efforts for public health (PH) emergencies related to large-scale biological, natural, or man-made disasters, including pandemics.
Workshop discussions will be held to enhance coordinated preparedness and response for future pandemic, biological, natural, or man-made disaster-related PH emergencies.
In-person July 21-22, 2025 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Leona Training Center 2123 University Park Dr, Suite 150 Okemos, MI 48864
The course is 16 hours, and participants will earn 1.6 CEUs.
Participant materials will be provided digitally. Please plan to bring an electronic device to class.
The Guardian of Public Health is a monthly newsletter from the Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, EMS and Systems of Care (BEPESoC), within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The Guardian aims to provide readers with relevant content on topics that affect the public health of Michigan's citizens and communities.
This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement number 1NU90TP922062-01-00, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.
Bureau of Emergency Preparedness, EMS and Systems of Care | 1001 Terminal Rd, Lansing, MI 48906 | 517-335-8150
