Measles case reported in Anchorage, health officials say
It’s at least the 3rd case reported in Alaska in 2025
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A measles case was reported in a minor in south Anchorage last week, according to the Alaska Department of Health.
The department reported Thursday that the young person is an unvaccinated minor who developed a rash on May 14 before seeking medical care five days later and tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.
The minor spent time in three locations, the department said, between May 10 and 12, and warned that anyone who visited those places on those dates could have been exposed to the virus:
- O’Malley Sports Center/Fly Trampoline Park (11050 O’Malley Centre Drive) between 2 and 6 p.m. on May 10
- Target (150 West 100th Avenue) between 4 and 8 p.m. on May 11
- YMCA (5353 Lake Otis Parkway) between 6 and 9 a.m. on May 12
It’s at least the third measles case to have been reported in Alaska this year, following an Alaska resident who was admitted to a Homer hospital in January, as well as another unknown case reported by the health department.
Measles is an airborne, viral respiratory disease and is highly infectious, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Symptoms may include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and a sore throat, as well as a blotchy rash that tends to start with red spots on the infected person’s face and spread to the rest of their body.
A vaccine for measles was developed in the U.S. in 1963 and is commonly known as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Alaska Epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin said earlier this year that people who were born after 1956 who have not had the MMR vaccine or have not been previously infected by measles are most at risk.
While measles has been nearly eradicated from the U.S. due to widespread vaccination efforts, it has been making a comeback in 2025.
Earlier this month, the U.S. surpassed 1,000 known measles cases after an outbreak sprouted up in the community of West Texas. It has since spread to at least 11 states.
Editor’s note: This story was updated with more information on the number of measles cases in Alaska this year.
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