For more than two decades, most Americans hardly gave measles a second thought. The disease had been declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. West Nile virus seemed far away and exotic. It was not something most Americans ever worried about. Ditto for Dengue fever. But now measles – dengue – West Nile virus are making headlines around the country and worrying public health officials.
Measles Is Back!
A 2024 outbreak of measles in Chicago sickened 57 people. Then came the huge West Texas outbreak of 2025, with 762 cases. South Carolina followed with an even larger outbreak that ultimately reached 997 cases. Utah has experienced more than 700 cases during its 2025–2026 outbreak.
Now Pennsylvania is approaching the 1,000-case mark.
These are no longer isolated flare-ups. Measles appears to be finding pockets of susceptible people around the country, and when it does, this extraordinarily contagious virus can spread with remarkable speed.
Pennsylvania Measles Outbreak Keeps Growing:
As of September 28, Pennsylvania had reported 903 measles cases in 39 counties. At least 176 people have been hospitalized, and state health officials have reported four measles-associated deaths. Two were adults who had not been vaccinated, while two were infants too young to receive the MMR vaccine.
The actual number of infections could be higher. Some of the hardest-hit communities include Amish and Mennonite residents who may be less likely to seek medical care or testing.
One statistic jumped out at us: only four of Pennsylvania’s cases were in people who were fully vaccinated against measles. That is fewer than 1 percent of reported cases. Clearly, most of the cases were in unvaccinated individuals.
Measles is extraordinarily contagious. Virus-containing droplets can linger in the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes. Roughly one in five unvaccinated Americans who catches measles ends up in the hospital.
Nationwide, 2026 has already produced more measles cases than any year since the disease was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000.
West Nile Virus Is Also Raising Alarms:
Measles spreads from person to person. West Nile virus does not. Mosquitoes do the dirty work.
Health authorities in San Diego County recently reported 11 human West Nile cases, the highest number there in a decade. Four patients had been hospitalized.
Most people infected with West Nile never know it. About 80 percent develop no symptoms. Roughly 20 percent experience fever and other flu-like symptoms.
The frightening cases are the small percentage in which the virus invades the nervous system. West Nile can cause encephalitis, meningitis or paralysis. There is no vaccine for people and no antiviral treatment that cures the infection. Prevention therefore matters enormously.
That means reducing standing water where mosquitoes breed, using an effective insect repellent and covering exposed skin when mosquitoes are active.
Dengue Fever Comes to Florida:
Another mosquito-borne virus is making headlines in Florida. Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties have declared local states of emergency because of dengue fever. Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, has been especially hard hit.
Florida has reported hundreds of dengue infections this year, including an unusual increase in cases acquired locally rather than during foreign travel. An 80-year-old Tampa woman died in September after apparently contracting dengue from a mosquito bite near her home.
Dengue isn’t called “break-bone fever” for nothing. People who become ill may develop high fever, severe muscle, bone and joint pain, headache, nausea and rash. Some patients develop dangerous bleeding and other complications.
Doctors at Tampa General Hospital reported treating more than 100 dengue patients during the outbreak.
The Difference between Measles – Dengue – West Nile Viruses
There is an important difference between these outbreaks. Measles can spread rapidly from one infected person to another. Dengue and West Nile require mosquitoes to transmit the viruses.
But all three demonstrate how quickly an infectious threat can reappear where people don’t expect it.
For dengue and West Nile, health officials recommend a surprisingly low-tech defense: dump standing water, dress to reduce exposed skin and use an effective mosquito repellent.
Mosquito season may be winding down in some parts of the country, but judging from this year’s outbreaks, it would be premature to declare victory.
Learn more about measles at this link:
Measles Mess: How Much Worse Can This Get?
America’s Measles Mess has gone from bad to worse to deadly as cases climb and vaccination rates fall. How good is your protection?
Please share your own experience with measles in the comment section below. If you have ever had a dengue or West Nile virus infection, we would very much like to hear your story.
