- Utah has confirmed 443 measles cases, with a majority happening in the last few months.
- Recent exposures include Cinemark theaters, elementary schools, and more exposures at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium.
- Only South Carolina has reported more measles cases than Utah this year.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has now had almost 50 more measles cases in 2026 than in 2025 as the disease has spread to each health department in the state.
In Tuesday's update of measles statistics, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services said the current outbreak is at 443 cases, with 246 of those occurring since the start of the year. Of those cases, 98 were reported in the last three weeks.
Some of the recent exposures in Utah include:
- A second exposure at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium on March 10 and 11, following a previously reported exposure on March 2.
- Cottonwood Megaplex on March 10.
- Kangaroo Zoo in North Salt Lake on March 9.
- A music competition at Legacy Preparatory Academy Junior High on March 5.
- Megaplex Theatres in Centerville on March 1.
- Bristlecone Coffee Shop in Cedar City on March 9 through March 11.
- Reagan Academy in Springville on March 11.
- Dry Creek Elementary and River Walk Elementary in Lehi on March 2.
- Diamond Valley Elementary in St. George on March 4 and March 5.
Multiple other locations can be found on the Utah Department of Health and Human Services website. It notes that there may be other exposure locations that are not reported.
Those who may have been exposed are encouraged to watch for symptoms for 21 days after the exposure. Measles is a highly contagious virus and can spread easily through the air.
Measles symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure and begin with a fever, cough, runny nose or red eyes. After about four days of fever, the rash closely associated with measles will appear. The health department said there is no treatment for measles after someone is infected, but measures can be taken to relieve symptoms and treat or prevent complications. It encourages vaccinations to prevent measles.
Amelia Salmanson, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services' preventable disease manager, said the MMR vaccine is "really effective" at preventing measles, even with a single dose. Although health officials do see rare breakthrough cases, those are "a lot more mild" and "less transmissible." She recommends those who are not vaccinated speak with their medical provider or pharmacist about getting vaccinated.
Wastewater samples have detected measles in the most recent samples throughout much of the state. The only exceptions are the Weber-Morgan Health District, where measles was detected no more than two weeks before the most recent sample, and Wasatch and Davis counties, where measles was detected in the week before.
The Central Utah and San Juan health districts have no sampling sites.
As of last Thursday, the U.C. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Utah has had more cases in 2026 than any other state except South Carolina.
