Maine CDC reports sixth measles case of 2026, warns of potential exposure at MaineGeneral Express Care in Waterville
AUGUSTA, Maine —
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is reporting a confirmed case of measles, the state’s sixth of the year, and has issued a warning about potential measles exposure at a Waterville facility.
The Maine CDC said Wednesday that it confirmed the latest measles case in an unvaccinated adult from Somerset County on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
State health officials said potential exposure occurred at the MaineGeneral Express Care location at 211 Main St. in Waterville on Saturday, Sept. 12, between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.
The Maine CDC said it is working with the Waterville facility to inform people who were potentially exposed to measles during the aforementioned timeframe. State health officials also said people who were at that facility during that time should take precautions and watch for symptoms until Oct. 3, which is 21 days after Sept. 12.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, and if one person has measles, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will become infected. Symptoms of measles include a fever, a cough, a runny nose, a rash that spreads from the head down and red, watery eyes.
The Maine CDC said people who develop measles symptoms should contact their healthcare provider for instructions before going to the provider’s office or a hospital, as this will help prevent the spread of further infection.
Health officials said the measles virus remains alive for up to two hours on surfaces and in the air.
Measles can cause severe sickness, including pneumonia, encephalitis and death. An infected person spreads measles through coughs or sneezes. Once a person is infected, they are contagious from four days before their rash starts through four days afterwards. The period from exposure to the onset of symptoms is typically 10 to 14 days, but it can be longer.
The Maine CDC said the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best prevention for measles. People who have been potentially exposed to measles should review their vaccine history and watch for symptoms, and those who are not immunized or do not know their measles immunization status should get vaccinated.
The first confirmed Maine measles case of 2026, the state’s first confirmed case since 2019, was announced by state health officials on Feb. 6. The Maine CDC then announced on Feb. 17 that four additional measles cases had been confirmed.
More information is available on the Maine CDC’s and U.S. CDC’s webpages, as well as the Maine Immunization Program webpage.