Bucks Countian Tests Positive For Measles

Amid the largest measles outbreak in the nation, Bucks County has joined the list of Pennsylvania counties where a resident has tested positive.

The Bucks County Health Department confirmed Monday that an adult resident, whose hometown and age were not released, recently came down with measles.

“The individual is an adult who recently traveled to an area of central Pennsylvania that has reported many measles cases this year. The person’s vaccination status is unclear, but they are no longer contagious,” the county health department’s press release said.

County health officials have alerted healthcare providers where the person visited.

The county said health officials will help providers in letting patients know if they may have been exposed.

Dr. David Damsker, the county’s health department director, released the below statement:

“Given the ongoing measles outbreak in parts of Pennsylvania, it is reasonable to expect additional cases may be reported here in Bucks County.

“The most effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones from measles is vaccination. Two doses of the vaccine will be at least 97 percent effective in preventing all illness after exposure to the virus.

“Fortunately, across Bucks County we overall tend to see very high rates of vaccination against measles, which prevents further spread and keeps most infections mild in the rare instance that they occur. If you’re unsure of your vaccination status and want to make sure you’re protected, check with your doctor.”

As of Monday, 1,505 cases of measles have been confirmed across 45 counties in the state since the start of the year. Only five of those cases were in vaccinated patients.

There have been six “measles-associated deaths” in the state this year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. None have been in the Philadelphia suburbs.

According to federal data, there were 16 measles cases in Pennsylvania over the entirety of 2025.

Measles is a contagious respiratory virus that spreads through breathing, coughing, or sneezing. The virus can linger in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected individual leaves the area.

Symptoms, which typically appear 7 to 21 days after exposure, include fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis). A distinct rash then begins on the head or face before spreading downward. The infection can lead to severe health complications, hospitalization, or death.

The death rate for measles is 1 to 3 per 1,000 cases, while the risk of severe adverse effects from the vaccine are exceptionally rare and almost nonexistent, according to STAT News.

A full two-dose series is 97 percent effective at preventing infection. Since its introduction in the early 1960s, U.S. measles cases and deaths have dropped more than 97 percent.

Because measles was declared essentially eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, many clinicians have never treated the disease.

Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to measles and plans to seek treatment should contact the healthcare facility in advance, the county health department said.