Coconino County officials have confirmed the county’s first case of measles in 2025 and are working to identify people who may have been exposed.
A Coconino County resident infected with the highly contagious virus visited the Kane County Emergency Department across the border in Kanab, Utah, on Monday Dec. 22 from 5 to 9 p.m. Others who were there at the same time should watch for symptoms at least through Jan. 12.
Symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, runny nose, and a blotchy rash that usually starts on the face and extends down the body.
This is the first case of measles confirmed in Coconino County in 2025, but 200 cases have been confirmed in recent months in neighboring Mohave County.
The ongoing measles outbreak in Arizona is the state’s largest in more than 30 years. The state health department reports Arizona has had eight hospitalizations but no deaths related to the outbreak.
Ninety-seven percent of cases have been among people who are not vaccinated against measles. Two-thirds of cases have been among children.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known. But the MMR vaccine is highly protective against it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two doses of the vaccine are 97% effective at blocking the virus.
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Anyone who was at Gilbert's Hale Theatre on Jan. 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 should watch for symptoms of measles through the end of this month. -
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Arizona has had more than 200 measles cases since June, but no cases had been confirmed in the state’s most populous county until now. -
Danny Neumann is a nurse in the emergency department at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix. -
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