Ohio health officials are reporting a new measles outbreak after four people tested positive for the highly contagious disease, marking the third outbreak identified in the state this year.

Measles Outbreak Details

The Ohio Department of Health said the latest outbreak includes three cases in Ashtabula County and one case in Tuscarawas County. The individuals infected range in age from 4 to 30 years old, and all four were unvaccinated.

Ohio has recorded 15 measles cases so far in 2026, according to state health officials. A measles outbreak is defined as three or more related cases.

Health officials recommend children receive two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, commonly known as the MMR vaccine, to provide protection against the disease.

The new cases add to a recent increase in measles activity across Ohio. The state reported 45 measles cases in 2025, compared with seven cases in 2024 and one case in 2023.

State health officials say vaccination coverage has declined in recent years, creating conditions where outbreaks are more likely.

Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.