Baltimore, Md. (DG) – Maryland health officials are reporting a confirmed case of measles in a Baltimore metro area resident who recently returned from international travel, marking the state’s first case of 2026.
The Maryland Department of Health says it is actively working to identify and notify anyone who may have been exposed. Officials have also released specific locations and timeframes where potential exposure could have occurred.
Those locations include the federal customs inspection station at BWI Airport on April 12th between 7:50 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., as well as Sinai Hospital’s emergency department main waiting area and pediatric emergency department on April 17th from 3:30 p.m. to 7:10 p.m.
Health officials emphasize that measles is extremely contagious and spreads easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. The virus can remain airborne for up to two hours after the infected person has left the area, and it can also spread through direct contact or contaminated surfaces.
Early symptoms typically begin with a high fever—often above 101 degrees Fahrenheit—along with a runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes. One to four days after these initial symptoms, a red rash usually develops, starting on the face and spreading across the rest of the body.
While measles cases remain rare in Maryland, they do occur sporadically. State data shows three cases were identified in 2025, one case in 2024, one in 2023, and no cases reported from 2020 through 2022. Officials say this is the first confirmed case in the state so far in 2026.
By: Dianah Gibson
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