New cases of measles were reported in both Allen and DeKalb counties this week, according to the Indiana Department of Health, bringing each county's total for 2026 to two. Statewide, Indiana now counts 34 known measles cases this year.
The northeast corner of the state is carrying a large share of the total. State figures reported by WANE 15 put LaGrange County at five cases and Adams County at four, which means Allen, Adams, DeKalb and LaGrange counties together account for 13 of the state's 34 cases. The statewide total has risen quickly, from 25 cases on Oct. 3 to 34 on Oct. 13.
Allen County's first case was reported on Sept. 24, and county health officials later warned that people who visited the Fort Wayne Zoo on Sept. 27 may have been exposed. The case added on Oct. 13 is the county's first new one since that exposure warning. DeKalb County documented its first case on Sept. 30, and the virus first appeared in the region in Adams County on Sept. 22.
Measles is airborne and highly contagious: the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours, and health officials say up to 9 out of 10 people without MMR vaccine protection will become infected if they are near someone with the disease. Symptoms include a rash, high fever, cough, watery eyes and a runny nose, and the illness can lead to pneumonia or brain swelling and can be fatal in young children.
