DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Health and Human Services is reporting that a second confirmed case of measles has been detected in Iowa this year.

According to the Iowa HHS website, the second case was confirmed in a vaccinated adult male between the ages of 18 to 40 in eastern Iowa in June. It is unknown at this time whether the patient traveled outside of the state.

In May HHS announced the first confirmed case of measles in the state since 2019. The infected individual was an unvaccinated adult female and had traveled outside of the state and internationally.

The announcement comes as the highly contagious disease continues to spread across the country, with 34 states reporting cases. According to the CDC, over 1,100 cases have been reported in the country as of June 5, a majority of them occurring in Texas.

Measles is a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease. It spreads through the air when a person infected with the virus coughs or sneezes. Symptoms appear roughly 7-21 days after infection and include: cough, red and/or watery eyes, nasal congestion, fever, rash, and Koplik spots. If you believe you’ve been exposed to measles or may have measles HHS says to call your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

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