Tuesday, September 29, 2026·Focal News

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Southwest Wisconsin measles outbreak reaches 202 confirmed cases

Health officials reported 202 confirmed measles cases and six probable cases across four southwest Wisconsin counties. Four additional cases elsewhere in the state were linked to out-of-state travel, bringing Wisconsin’s reported total to 214 cases this year.

Southwest Wisconsin measles outbreak reaches 202 confirmed cases
DODGEVILLE, Wis. — Measles has been confirmed in 202 people across southwest Wisconsin as part of a summer outbreak, the Iowa County Health Department said Tuesday, Sept. 29. Officials also reported six probable cases in the four-county region. Lafayette County had 86 confirmed or probable cases, Iowa County had 74 confirmed cases and Grant County had 44 confirmed cases, according to the department. The report did not provide a separate count for Vernon County. Elsewhere in Wisconsin, health officials reported three confirmed cases in Marathon County and one in Chippewa County. Those cases were tied to travel outside Wisconsin and were not connected to the southwest outbreak, officials said. The statewide total stood at 214 cases this year. Measles symptoms can include a runny nose, high fever, fatigue, cough and red, watery eyes. A raised, red rash typically appears three to five days after symptoms begin, starting near the hairline and spreading to the arms and legs. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best way to prevent measles, health officials said.

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