South Dakota confirms 11th measles case of 2026 in Edmunds County child

South Dakota Department of Health officials have confirmed the state’s 11th measles case of 2026.

The case involves a child younger than 18 in Edmunds County, department spokeswoman Tia Kafka said. The patient was unvaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown, and the source of exposure is unknown.

The department notified medical providers last week to be alert for measles symptoms in Brown, Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, McPherson, Potter, Spink and Walworth counties.

The department did not issue a press release about the case because the patient was not known to have visited public locations while infectious, Kafka said. 

The last cases reported before Thursday were in May, according to the department’s measles dashboard. 

‘No known exposures’ after measles detected in Brookings county child, health department says

So far this year, six measles cases have been confirmed in Grant County, one in Brown and three in Brookings. This is the first case in Edmunds County.

Two of the patients who contracted measles in May were hospitalized. They’ve since recovered, Kafka said.

Ten of the 11 cases involved patients who were unvaccinated or unaware of their vaccination status. Seven of the cases have been among children. Six were exposed through international travel, four have an unknown source, and one was linked to close contact with a known source.

“The measles vaccine (MMR) offers the best protection against measles infection,” Kafka said.

Measles symptoms appear in two stages. Early symptoms can include a runny nose, cough, slight fever and red eyes sensitive to light. Between the third and seventh days, a patient’s temperature can reach 103 to 105 degrees, and a red blotchy rash typically develops on the face before spreading to the entire body.

People who are not immune or vaccinated, or who are unsure of their status, should contact their medical provider, the department said.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 2,170 confirmed measles cases nationwide in 2026 across 41 states as of July 2. Those states include all of South Dakota’s surrounding states except Iowa.

There were 2,267 confirmed cases across the U.S. in all of 2025, according to the CDC.

Measles was considered fully eradicated in the U.S. in 2000. Falling measles vaccination rates in recent years have contributed to its return. Several areas of the U.S. now have vaccination rates below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks.

The kindergarten measles vaccination rate in South Dakota has tumbled from 97% to 90% in the past 10 years. Health officials blame disinformation about vaccine safety, which has contributed to a rise in parents claiming religious exemptions to avoid otherwise mandatory school immunizations.

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