Minnesota measles count soars, with 80% of cases reported in Todd County

Cases of measles have skyrocketed in Minnesota this past week.

The Minnesota Department of Health on Thursday reported 59 new measles cases, bringing the total case count to 139 so far this year. It's the highest number the state has seen in decades.

Nearly all of the cases have been reported since mid-September. 

Most of the cases are in Todd County. The area in central Minnesota, which has a population of about 25,000 people, has reported 115 measles cases this year.

The department of health says only 60% of Todd County babies born in 2023 were vaccinated, compared to a roughly 80% statewide average. The figure represents one of the lowest rates in the state. 

The World Health Organization deemed the disease eradicated in the U.S. in 2000, but experts say it's made a comeback with the decline of vaccination rates.

Also on Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Health announced that an infant died of measles after an outbreak in southwestern Wisconsin. It was the first measles death reported in Wisconsin since 1990.