Measles

​Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It is widespread in many parts of the world, including Europe, Africa, and Asia. Measles begins with a fever that lasts for a couple of days, followed by a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis (pink eye), and a rash. The rash typically appears first on the face, along the hairline, and behind the ears and then affects the rest of the body. Infected people are usually contagious from about 4 days before their rash starts to 4 days afterwards.

• Who’s at Risk, How it Spreads, and More
• Images | Real-life Stories
• Immunization Recommendations

Measles Activity in California 202​5 – As of March 11, 2025

As of March 11​, 2025, five confirmed measles cases​ have been reported in California in 2025. These data are provisional and subject to change.

CDPH will update case counts every two weeks. The next update will be on March 25, 2025.​

Table. Reported Measles Cases by Month of Rash Onset – California, 2025

Month of Rash Onset	​Number of Cases
​January 2025​	​0
​​February 2025	​3
March 2025​	​2​

Outbreaks

While high levels of immunity in the general population ultimately limit measles outbreaks, measles readily spreads in communities and social networks with lower coverage. 

In December 2014–April 2015, at least 131 California residents were infected in a large measles outbreak associated with Disneyland; the outbreak also infected residents of six other states, Mexico, and Canada.

In 2019, there were 73 confirmed measles cases in California, including 41 cases associated with six outbreaks (defined as 3 or more cases). Of the six outbreaks, five were linked to patients with international travel, while one had an unknown source. The largest outbreak consisted of 21 cases and involved multiple generations of transmission in a health care setting. The other five outbreaks involved from 3 to 5 cases.

Case counts for 2012–2017 are available in the Vaccine-Preventable Disease Summaries​. Case counts for 2018-2022 are available in the Vaccine-Preventable Disease Annual Report. Four measles cases were confirmed in California in 2023, and 15 were confirmed in 2024.

For information on measles cases and outbreaks nationwide, please see the CDC Measles Cases and Outbreaks.​​

If you are having difficulty accessing documents on this page please call  510-620-3737 or email ImmunizationBranch@cdph.ca.gov to request this information in an alternate format.​