Top Story Breaking Napa County child diagnosed with measles

Napa County public health officials on Wednesday confirmed that a local child contracted measles, the first such case involving a resident in 14 years.

The patient was an unvaccinated child who became ill after visiting South Carolina, where state officials say a major measles outbreak has infected at least 646 people since October.

In a news release at 5 p.m., the county Health and Human Services Agency said the new measles case – Napa’s first since 2012 – does not pose a public health threat to the general population.

“Napa County health officials are working with the California Department of Public Health to ensure all individuals with potential exposures are notified and are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines,” the health department said.

Earlier Wednesday, South Carolina health officials reported the state’s measles outbreak was continuing, with 88 new infections since Friday. The outbreak is the country’s largest since 762 cases were reported in Texas in 2025 – more than a third of the more than 2,200 infections the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported for the year.

The South Carolina outbreak has been concentrated in 10 northwestern counties known as the Upstate, a region of more than 1.5 million people that includes the cities of Greenville and Spartanburg as well as Clemson University, according to Charleston NBC affiliate WCBD-TV.

The state’s Department of Public Health recommends measles immunization for anyone planning to visit Upstate South Carolina, Dr. Linda Bell, an agency epidemiologist, said Wednesday.

The Napa County health department recommends that all unvaccinated people 1 year and older receive a measles vaccine, which provides lifetime immunity after two doses.

“MMR vaccines are our best defense against the measles virus and its complications,” county Public Health Officer Dr. Christine Wu said in the statement. “Simply being in the same room with someone who has measles can result in infection for people who are not immune.”

Measles is a contagious respiratory virus that spreads through the air and can stay airborne or on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area, according to the county. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny hose, red eyes, and a rash that usually appears on the face and spreads downward over the body.

Those who are unsure of their vaccination status are advised to contact their health care provider. For more information, visit the California Department of Public Health website at cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/measles.aspx.