(INDIANAPOLIS) – The first confirmed case of measles in Indiana in 2025 is in Allen County.

The Indiana Department of Health says the case is in an unvaccinated minor, and state and local public health officials are working together on the investigation and to confirm any additional cases.

Health officials say the patient is stable and recovering, and no other information will be released to protect patient privacy. This is the first case in Indiana since measles was confirmed in a Lake County resident in early 2024.

While the risk to the general public is low, measles is an easily spread respiratory disease caused by a virus. Because measles is so easily spread, a single case is considered an outbreak. When infected people sneeze or cough, droplets spray into the air. Those droplets remain infective in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours.

More than 93 percent of people who receive a single dose of MMR will develop immunity to measles, and more than 97 percent will be protected after receiving a second dose. Two doses of the vaccine are needed to be fully protected. Individuals are encouraged to check with their healthcare providers to ensure vaccinations are up to date. Individuals born before 1957 are presumed to be immune to measles.

Measles begins with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes usually about 7 to 14 days after exposure to measles but can occur up to 21 days. The fever increases and can get as high as 105 degrees. Then two to four days after symptoms begin, a rash starts on the hairline and face. It spreads down the back and torso, and then extends to the arms and hands, as well as the legs and feet. The rash fades in about five days.