On Jun. 24, 2025, the Oregon Health Authority and county public health officials announced they are investigating a case of measles in an individual who recently returned to the state following international travel. The individual is not vaccinated against measles. A commercial laboratory confirmed the measles case June 23. The affected individual is an adult who developed measles symptoms—sore throat, weakness, fatigue, headache and fever—on June 16.

The individual was hospitalized in the Portland metro area with a rash and conjunctivitis June 19 and was discharged June 21. County public health officials and hospital staff believe no patients were exposed. The person is recovering. Health officials believe the individual acquired the disease while traveling abroad the last four to five weeks. This case is not believed to be connected to measles outbreaks in other U.S. states.

Measles spreads through the air after a person with measles coughs or sneezes. People are contagious with measles for four days before a rash appears and up to four days afterward. The virus particles can linger in the air for up to two hours after someone who is infectious has left the area.

Measles typically starts with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes. A rash usually follows, beginning on the face and spreading to the rest of the body. Symptoms begin seven to 21 days after exposure to a person with measles. Common complications of measles include ear infection, lung infection and diarrhea. Swelling of the brain is a rare but much more serious complication. In developed countries in recent years, one or two out of every 1,000 measles cases have been fatal. 

Most people in Oregon have been vaccinated to prevent measles, usually as children. Anyone who received a measles vaccination at any time in their life has a very low risk of getting measles. But the disease is highly contagious, and the risk is high for anyone who has not received measles vaccination and has been exposed to the disease.