A second resident has tested positive for measles in Steuben County following several infections in upstate New York.
A total of four people in Tioga, Steuben and Otsego counties have been infected by the virus. All are unvaccinated. Five confirmed cases have been reported in Seneca, Madison and Allegany counties.
The United States declared measles eliminated in 2000. However, in recent years the country has seen a record number of cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 2026 saw the most measles cases nationwide since 1991. In 2023, 53 cases of measles were reported. So far this year the country has seen over 2,000 cases of measles.
“It's concerning in the bigger scheme, and also unfortunate given that it's a preventable illness,” said Dr. Eli Finkelsztein, an infectious disease specialist at Cayuga Health. “We have seen increasing cases in neighboring counties. There are strong vaccination rates overall, but these could be higher.”
Finkelsztein said measles is one of the most contagious viral illnesses, but also one of the most preventable. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97 percent effective in preventing measles, according to the CDC.
“We know how to stop the progression of the disease and the progression of outbreaks,” Finkelsztein said. “We do that through high vaccination rates, rapid identification of cases, and limiting unnecessary exposures.”
Statewide, about 80 percent of New Yorkers have been vaccinated against the illness. Otsego, Steuben and Tioga counties have vaccination rates at 77.5 percent, 79.1 percent and 80.4 percent, respectively.
Finkelsztein said people concerned about symptoms or exposure should isolate and contact a healthcare provider by phone, rather than visiting the doctor in person.
“It typically presents with a high fever, cough and runny nose, and red eyes,” he said. “And then a few days later, develops a characteristic rash that starts in the face and extends to the trunk and the extremities.”
Infants under 12 months are at especially high risk for measles, as they are not able to get vaccinated.
“We start giving the vaccine at the age of 12 months. Babies are too young to receive the vaccine, and this is partly because it's not effective due to interference with maternal antibodies,” he said. “So this is the first glaring population that is at risk.”
The best way to protect unvaccinated babies is to make sure the people around them have gotten their shots, or are immune from a prior infection.
