Michigan's latest measles patient traveled through Detroit Metro Airport before diagnosis
Michigan has its second confirmed case of measles for 2025, according to a report from the Kent County Health Department and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The person is a resident of Kent County and has recently traveled to Detroit Metro Airport and Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids.
This is the first confirmed measles case in Kent County since 2013, health officials said.
"The person who's infectious doesn't even have to be in the room. They could've been in the same room with two hours of a susceptible person coming in to be exposed," said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, chief of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Department at Stanford University.
The U.S. is dealing with the most measles cases confirmed in one year since 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of cases in Texas alone has reached over 400, and a Texas school-age child has died from the disease.
A vaccine introduced in the 1960s led to a significant drop in the number of cases in the U.S. It is currently part of a recommended two-dose MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine schedule. Among the cases across the U.S. tracked between January and March, 97% were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads easily through the air as an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Symptoms such as high fever and rash generally begin seven to 14 days after exposure but can occur as much as 21 days after exposure. Health officials ask that anyone who has measles-like symptoms call ahead to a health care provider before going to a medical office or clinic to limit potential spread.
"It's like a flu-like illness that can be quite debilitating and a pretty rapid development of a rash," Maldonado said.
The infected adult patient in Kent County had recently traveled abroad before returning to the U.S. and then traveling between Michigan and New Jersey, according to the health department report. The individual's known locations in Michigan and those dates include:
- March 24: Restaurant in Kentwood, Michigan.
- March 25: Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids and Detroit Metro Airport (including Delta Sky Club lounge).
- March 27-28: Detroit Metro Airport and Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
- March 28: Corewell Health Family Medicine in Grand Rapids.
"This case is a reminder of how quickly measles can spread and the importance of vaccination," Kent County health officer Dr. Adam London said in the press release. "We urge residents to check their immunization status and to get vaccinated, especially if planning to travel internationally or into areas with active measles outbreaks."
In response to the circumstances, Detroit Metro issued the following statement:
"Our top priority is the safety of our customers, employees and tenants. The standard protocol in cases like this is for the CDC to work directly with the affected airline to contact passengers who may have been exposed to the infected traveler. Our cleaning staff follows standard airport cleaning protocols and will implement additional procedures if required by federal and state health authorities."
