dpUpdated Sept. 22, 2026, 3:49 p.m. CT
A person in Chippewa County has contracted measles, state health officials announced Sept. 22.
It’s the third new county to report a measles case in the last week, and it comes amid burgeoning state and national disease numbers. Vernon and Marathon counties also reported cases last week, on top of the more than 160 cases tied to an outbreak in Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties.
State health officials said they are not currently aware of any public places where someone could have been exposed to the Chippewa County resident unknowingly.
Wisconsin has reported over 170 measles cases this year, among more than 3,400 cases nationally. The disease, one of the world’s most infectious, spreads quickly among people who have not received the measles vaccine or have not had the disease and built up antibodies.
Stephanie Schauer, immunization program manager for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, told the Journal Sentinel that one of the two cases reported in Vernon County is likely linked to the many other cases in southwest Wisconsin.
Health officials did not share information about how the Chippewa County case was acquired.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles symptoms typically start a week to two weeks after infection with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes.
A few days after the first symptoms arise, red spots or bumps appear on the face and near the hairline. That rash will spread to the rest of the body.
People also may get tiny white spots inside the mouth a few days after symptoms begin.
If you think you may have measles, avoid others and call a doctor’s office or clinic before showing up to receive medical attention.
Sarah Volpenhein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
This story has been updated to correct an error in Wisconsin’s total number of measles cases.
Madeline Heim covers health and the environment for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at 920-996-7266 or [email protected].
