Maine CDC confirms 4 new cases of measles in state

AUGUSTA (WGME) — The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed four new cases of measles in the state Tuesday.

The Maine CDC says there are now five lab-confirmed cases in the state, though they say there are no new exposures risks for the public.

Maine’s first measles case since 2019 was confirmed on February 6.

State officials say this is not considered a measles outbreak, because that would require three or more cases in unrelated households sharing an epidemiological link.

The U.S. CDC says there were 910 confirmed measles cases nationwide as of Friday.

The Maine CDC launched a measles dashboard Tuesday to help the public track cases in the state.

Officials say all of the cases reported Tuesday are related to the first case in Penobscot County.

All four new cases are unvaccinated.

The Maine CDC says measles is a highly contagious disease.

Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes
• Tiny white spots inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek (Koplik spots)
• Rash that spreads from the head down

Measles can cause severe sickness, including pneumonia, brain swelling and death.