A new case of measles in Chippewa County pushes Wisconsin's 2026 total to pass 170 for the third new county in a week.

Measles has broken out in a third new Wisconsin county in a week, with state health officials finding a case of the infection in a Chippewa County resident on Sept. 22. The finding marks Wisconsin's 2026 cases on the state dashboard at 171.

At a Glance

Chippewa County confirmed their first 2026 measles case Sept. 22; no public exposure sites have been identified so far. Vernon and Marathon counties also reported new cases since August, in addition to Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties. Nationally, cases have climbed to 3,471 as of Sept. 17, a 35-year high.

What happened in Chippewa County?

State and local officials said the case was confirmed by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and are now working to identify the patient's contacts.

They did not say how the patient was infected. Investigators are not considering this case to be related to the outbreak that is occurring on the state's southwest corner, according to media reports.

How Many Cases has Wisconsin Seen This Year?

The state's count has been rising steadily since August.

Of Wisconsin's cases so far, 170 or 99.4%, occurred in unvaccinated people and five patients have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Is It Related to the Bigger Outbreak?

Not entirely.

Most of Wisconsin's cases trace back to a cluster in Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties that have kept on spreading between household contacts.

Dr. Stephanie Schauer, DHS's immunization program manager, said in late August that the continued spreading of already-identified cases of measles, "speaks to the very infectious nature of the measles."

Some officials have been Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer for DHS's Communicable Disease Bureau, said that local teams have focused on issuing vaccines to people who are potentially exposed and at risk of the disease.

What Symptoms Should People Be Looking For?

Fever, cough, runny nose and watering eyes commonly present signs of a spreading rash, and tiny white spots in the mouth a few days in the future.

Those with any of these symptoms should contact before heading to a clinic.

More to Know

Business Fortune reports as one of the most contagious infections, measles can be around in the air for up to two hours, even after an infected person is gone and left the area.

Wisconsin requires the MMR shot to enter the public school, but parents can ask for exemption on religious or personal reasons, leaving some pockets of the population, especially the state's southwest corner, unvaccinated.

Wisconsin's 2026 measles total is now over 170, with cases scattered out across six counties since August. As the schools reopen and the national cases pass 3,400, health officials are pushing vaccination efforts and tracking the contacts of infected people to try to prevent outbreaks.

FAQs

  1. How many cases of measles have been reported so far this year, in Wisconsin?

Until the 22nd of September this year there have been 171 confirmed cases of measles in Wisconsin.

  1. Is the case in Chippewa Country, related to the one that is breaking out in Southwest Wisconsin?

According to the reports, the case in Chippewa County is not related to the outbreak in the Southwest Wisconsin.

  1. What are early symptoms?

The early symptoms may include a high fever, coughing, runny nose and red, watery eyes, plus a rash.

  1. How many cases of measles, so far this year, have been diagnosed in the US?

More than 3,400 cases of measles have been diagnosed this year – the largest number since the 1980s.

  1. What should a person do, if one thinks they may have measles?

Those who think that they may have it, should contact their doctor’s office or local clinic to report symptoms and avoid coming personally and contacting others.