COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s measles outbreak is accelerating, with 180 confirmed cases reported across 15 counties and 47 new infections recorded in the most recent week tracked by the Ohio Department of Health. The weekly total represents a 300% increase from the 11 cases reported the week before. The surge marks Ohio’s third measles outbreak of 2026, according to state health data. Dr. Bryan Ghiloni, a family-medicine physician with Mount Carmel Medical Group, said the growing frequency of outbreaks is concerning, particularly because measles can spread before an infected person develops symptoms. “That’s an unprecedented jump,” Ghiloni said. “You look at that trajectory and it is concerning.” Measles is highly contagious, and people can transmit the virus before they know they are sick. Ghiloni said the disease had become uncommon enough that many pediatric physicians have never treated a case, making the recent outbreaks a significant shift for Ohio’s health care system. Vaccination remains the strongest protection against measles. Community-wide protection, often called herd immunity, generally requires about 95% of people to be vaccinated. Ghiloni said roughly 90% of people who have contracted measles or currently have the disease are unvaccinated. He also called for more direct conversations with families who have questions about vaccines, including discussions about potential risks and benefits rather than dismissing their concerns. Measles cases nationwide have reached their highest level in 35 years, adding to the pressure on state and local health departments to identify infections quickly, limit exposure and increase immunization coverage. Ohio’s infectious-disease data are available through the Ohio Department of Health’s public data portal.