Measles was confirmed in another Bay Area county, the first case there since 2012

NAPA, California. – Another case of measles has been reported in the Gulf region amid country-wide outbreaks of the highly contagious viral disease.

Napa County health officials said it was the first confirmed case in the county since 2012.

What do we know?

The patient was identified as a measles-vaccinated child. Health officials said the child fell ill after a trip to South Carolina, which is facing a major outbreak.

by number

As of Wednesday, South Carolina has reported 646 cases.

Here in California, the state health department website says there have been two cases so far in 2026. In the latest update to the data, which was made Monday, it was unclear whether it included the Napa County case.

In 2025, there were 25 cases, with three Bay Area counties among those reporting measles, including one in the East Bay last month.

Contra Costa County health officials alerted the public to potential risks in the days leading up to Christmas at locations including stores at the Broadway Plaza shopping center.

‘No public health threat’ in Napa County

In Napa County, officials said, “At this time, there is no public health threat to the general population.”

The county said it is working with the California Department of Public Health to follow up with people who came into contact and make sure they are up to date on their measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations.

Found in dirty water

You deep

In Santa Clara County, public health officials there announced on Wednesday that the disease had been detected in wastewater samples.

The samples were collected from the Palo Alto Sewershed on Jan. 10, health officials detailed, adding that the shed contains waste from communities in northern Santa Clara County and a small part of San Mateo County.

Santa Clara County Public Health stressed that the source was not known and that samples tested over five days showed no evidence of further contamination in the water.

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“The investigation is ongoing, and it is not known at this time whether this discovery of measles in the wastewater is linked to recent cases of measles in residents of other Bay Area counties,” the agency said.

Highly contagious

Respiratory disease is an airborne virus and spreads easily.

According to health experts, the virus can remain in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area.

“Staying in the same room as someone who has measles can spread the infection to people who don’t have the immune system,” Napa County Public Health Officer Dr. Christine Wu said in a news release.

The best line of defense is to get vaccinated, officials urge.

“Napa County Public Health is recommending that all unvaccinated individuals one year of age and older receive the measles vaccine to protect themselves and those around them,” the agency said.

record high

Last year, cases in the US reached a record high in recent decades.

“The United States passed a milestone in reported measles cases, with the highest number of cases in 2025 since the disease was declared eradicated in the US in 2000 and the highest number of cases in more than three decades,” the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health reported in July.

It referred to the American Measles Tracker, which, Looking at the tracker’s latest data, it showed 2,540 cases. It covered a period of about one year from January 1, 2025 to January 16, 2026.

Highly preventable

Measles is highly preventable.

“It is estimated that when 95% of people in a community are vaccinated, both those individuals and others in their community are protected against measles,” Harvard Health Publishing wrote in an article released earlier this month.

The recent increase in incidence can be attributed to the decline in childhood vaccinations.

“Nationally, measles vaccination rates among school-age children declined from 95% in 2019 to 92% in 2023,” the publication said.

symptoms

Symptoms of measles include a rash that usually starts on the face and spreads down the body, as well as fever, cough, and red eyes and nose.

Symptoms may appear seven to 21 days after onset.

Humans are contagious from four days before the appearance of the rash to four days after, which is considered day 0 of the rash.

For those who believe they have measles, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges them to contact their health care provider immediately.

“Measles is more than just a small rash. Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children,” the CDC said.

If unsure about vaccination status, experts recommend checking with your healthcare provider.

“The MMR vaccine is safe and highly effective, providing lifelong immunity after two doses,” Napa County health officials emphasized.