Chicago airport panic as passenger diagnosed with world’s most infectious disease | World | News

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport has been placed on red alert after a possible measles outbreak. The passenger was mainly confined to the airport’s Terminal 1 area but had already exposed hundreds to the world’s most infectious disease, reports the Daily Mail.

The infected individual developed a rash on April 25. Despite receiving one dose of the measles vaccine, the person was diagnosed with a breakthrough infection and has been isolated at home since then. Health officials have advised residents to get two doses of the vaccine at least two weeks before traveling. A second case was reported in suburban Cook County, where the individual’s vaccination status remains unknown.

Health authorities are urging anyone who may have been exposed to contact their healthcare provider for further guidance.

Measles cases in the United States have surged in 2025, with nearly 900 confirmed cases across 30 states, a significant increase from 285 cases in 2024.

The majority of these infections are concentrated in West Texas, where 663 cases have been reported, including two fatalities among unvaccinated children.

The outbreak has also spread to neighboring states such as New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas, as well as Mexico’s Chihuahua state.

Health experts attribute this resurgence to declining vaccination rates, particularly in communities with low immunization coverage, such as certain religious groups and rural areas.​

In response, public health officials are urging increased vaccination efforts, emphasising that two doses of the MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles.

They also recommend that individuals who may have been exposed to measles contact their healthcare providers for guidance.

Without a significant increase in vaccination rates, experts warn that the U.S. could face a return to endemic measles transmission.