29 measles cases in Minnesota: One with MMR vaccine, first outside of Hennepin County

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed there is one case of measles outside of Hennepin County. As of Thursday, there are a total of 29 confirmed cases of measles in the state. 

Twenty-eight of the cases are in Hennepin County. One case is in Stearns County.

Of the 29 cases, one child had the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and 25 were unvaccinated. The remaining three cases are still under testing. All 29 cases involve children under the age of five.

Measles causes a high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and a large rash. It is highly contagious and health department officials say the best protection against the virus is getting vaccinated.

The last major measles outbreak in Minnesota occurred in 1990 – with over 450 cases and three deaths.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Number of measles cases continues to rise, now with 24 confirmed cases