State reaches a 36-year high
Minnesota has recorded 160 measles cases so far in 2026, bringing the state to its highest confirmed total in more than three decades. Public health officials said the current count is nearly twice the most recent record outbreak, which occurred less than a decade ago.
The number places this year’s outbreak at a level not seen in Minnesota since 1990. The Minnesota Department of Health releases updated case information on Thursdays, making the weekly reports the state’s regular measure of how the outbreak is developing.
Measles is highly contagious and can spread through droplets left in the air after an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. Those droplets may remain after the person who produced them has left, according to the information provided by public health officials.
Three cases have required hospital care
The illness is associated with a distinctive rash that spreads across the body, along with fever and breathing problems. About one in 10 cases requires hospitalization, although Minnesota has reported three such severe cases during the current outbreak.
The state’s case total therefore reflects more than a numerical milestone. It also represents a sustained public health concern involving a disease that can move quickly through communities. The available information does not identify the three hospitalized patients or provide details about their conditions beyond classifying the cases as severe.
Cases concentrated in several counties
Confirmed infections have been concentrated largely in Minnesota counties with sizable Amish communities. The source information says many residents in those communities have religious objections to vaccination, but state health officials have not confirmed whether those communities are connected to the latest measles clusters.
That distinction remains important as the outbreak is tracked. The state has identified where confirmed cases are largely located, but officials have not publicly attributed the newest clusters to a specific community in the information available Thursday.
| Measure | Minnesota information |
|---|---|
| Cases recorded in 2026 | 160 |
| Highest comparable state total | Since 1990 |
| Reported severe cases | 3 |
| Regular state update | Thursdays |
Regional outbreak adds pressure
Minnesota’s outbreak is unfolding alongside a larger measles surge in neighboring Wisconsin. Wisconsin has reported 431 cases this year, with most concentrated in its southwestern region, near counties along the Minnesota border.
Wisconsin also reported its first measles death since 1990 earlier this month. The victim was an infant. The regional figures show that Minnesota’s increase is part of a broader Upper Midwest public health development, although the available information does not establish a direct connection between individual cases in the two states.
What the weekly count shows
For Minnesota residents, the Thursday updates provide the clearest public accounting of the outbreak’s scope. The reports track confirmed cases while officials continue to assess where infections are occurring and how severe the illness has been for those affected.
The current information leaves several questions unanswered, including whether the number of cases will continue to rise and whether the concentration in certain counties will change. State officials also have not confirmed the role of Amish communities in the latest clusters, despite the geographic pattern described in the case data.
- Minnesota’s confirmed measles count has reached 160 cases in 2026.
- The total is the state’s highest since 1990.
- Three Minnesota cases have been reported as severe enough to require hospital care.
- The Minnesota Department of Health posts case updates each Thursday.
- Wisconsin has reported 431 cases and one infant death this year.
With the state total at its highest point in more than 30 years, Minnesota’s weekly reports will continue to provide the main public measure of the outbreak. The figures also underscore the cross-border nature of the current health challenge, as infections are being reported on both sides of the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.
