US surpasses 1,000 measles cases in 2025, second worst year since disease was declared eliminated

More than 1,000 measles cases have been reported in the United States in 2025, according to a CNN tally. This is only the second year cases have been this high since the disease was declared eliminated in the US a quarter-century ago, and a large multistate outbreak continues to grow, putting the nation on track for what could be the worst year since 2000.

At least 1,002 cases have been reported this year as of Wednesday, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments compiled by CNN. The vast majority of these cases – more than 800 – are associated with an outbreak centered in West Texas that has expanded to New Mexico, Oklahoma and possibly Kansas. Additional cases are expected to be reported from some of these states Friday.

Experts have said that numbers in the outbreak are a severe undercount because many cases are going unreported.