“As of August 24, seventeen confirmed cases of measles have been identified in 2026, with evidence of person-to-person spread,” the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) reported Monday. That’s five more cases than Iowa HHS reported in its last update on the measles outbreak in the state on Aug. 16.
The department announced Iowa’s first case of measles confirmed by laboratory testing on July 8. That case involved a vaccinated adult who had recently returned from international travel, during which the disease was contracted. The subsequent 16 confirmed cases reported by Iowa HHS do not involve international travel, but have been attributed to person-to-person transmission.
The number of Iowa’s confirmed cases has already exceeded last year’s total of nine…