A South Bay resident infected with measles dined at a Panda Express in Burlingame and went to work and medical appointments while contagious, triggering a public health response across two Bay Area counties, officials said Friday.
The adult, who recently returned from international travel, was diagnosed with measles late Wednesday, according to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. The person is vaccinated, developed symptoms several days after returning and is now isolating at home.
While infectious, the individual visited “private work and healthcare locations” and ate at the Burlingame restaurant in San Mateo County, health officials said.
Santa Clara and San Mateo county health departments are working with state officials and other local agencies to identify and notify people who may have been exposed.
“The individual visited Panda Express at 1453 Burlingame Avenue in Burlingame on February 23 and 24, 2026,” health officials said. “People who were at the restaurant between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on those days may be at risk of developing measles, especially if unvaccinated, pregnant or immunocompromised.”
Anyone who was at the restaurant during the exposure window should stay home and contact a health care provider before seeking medical treatment, officials said. Calling ahead allows medical facilities to take precautions to prevent further spread.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world. It spreads through the air when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes, and the virus can remain in the air for up to two hours, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Symptoms typically appear seven to 21 days after exposure and can include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash. In some cases, measles can lead to serious complications, particularly in young children, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems.
This marks the first confirmed measles case in a Santa Clara County resident since May 2025 and the 22nd reported in California this year, county officials said. The other Bay Area cases in 2026 were reported in San Mateo and Napa counties and are unrelated.
Before 2025, the last confirmed case involving a Santa Clara County resident was in 2019.
“Fortunately, our region has strong community immunity, because of our very high rates of vaccination or from childhood exposure decades ago,” Dr. Sarah Rudman, health officer and public health director for Santa Clara County, said in a statement.
State guidelines recommend two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for full protection. County officials said recommended vaccines are required to be covered by most health insurance plans in California.
Nationally, measles cases are climbing at a pace that has alarmed epidemiologists.
The United States has surpassed 1,000 confirmed infections in 2026 – 1,136 cases as of Feb. 26, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – putting the country nearly halfway to last year’s total of 2,256 cases in just two months. Twenty-eight states have reported infections this year.
Public health experts say the acceleration far outpaces trends seen in recent outbreaks.
Scientists say the surge reflects falling vaccination rates rather than any change in the virus itself. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning there was no sustained domestic transmission. But researchers warn that status is in jeopardy as community immunity drops below the 95% threshold needed to prevent spread.
Most cases this year have been linked to outbreaks across more than a dozen states, including a large cluster in South Carolina. The CDC notes that the official tally is likely an undercount.
While many cases are mild, one in five unvaccinated people who contract the virus is hospitalized, according to federal health officials.
Two children and one adult – all unvaccinated – died from measles in 2025. Public health leaders warn that without higher vaccination coverage, the United States risks losing its measles-elimination status and facing sustained outbreaks once again.
This article originally published at Bay Area measles patient visited Panda Express twice while infectious, health officials say.