Maryland reports two more measles cases, warns of Baltimore-area exposures
Two Baltimore-area measles cases have triggered exposure alerts across Anne Arundel County as health officials warn the virus can linger in the air for two hours.
Measles can linger in a room for up to two hours after an infectious person leaves, and Maryland health officials said that airborne risk now reaches a string of Anne Arundel County sites after two Baltimore-area residents who had recently traveled out of state were diagnosed with the disease.
The Maryland Department of Health said Friday that the source of exposure was not definitively known and that investigators were working to identify anyone who may have crossed paths with the infected residents. Officials also said there was no known connection between the new cases and an earlier international travel-associated infection reported in Maryland on April 19. The department said potential exposures may have occurred at Giant Foods in Pasadena on April 12, Bean Rush Cafe in Annapolis on April 14, the building at 2062 Generals Highway in Annapolis and Whole Foods Annapolis on April 15, Arnold Professional Building in Arnold on April 15, Arnold Professional Center in Arnold on April 16 and April 20, Oakwood Professional Building in Glen Burnie on April 14, April 15 and April 20, the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Emergency Department in Glen Burnie on April 20, and Patient First Pasadena on April 21.
The warning lands in a state that has seen only sporadic travel-related measles cases in recent years. Maryland’s health department said the state reported three travel-related cases in 2025, one in 2024, one in 2023, and none from 2020 through 2022 before the April 19 case. This spring’s cluster is unusual for Maryland, but it arrives as the United States is already contending with a broad measles resurgence.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that as of April 23, the nation had recorded 1,792 confirmed measles cases in 2026, with 22 outbreaks and 93 percent of cases tied to outbreaks. For comparison, the agency said the country logged 2,288 confirmed cases in all of 2025, along with 48 outbreaks, and 12 percent of cases last year required hospitalization. There were three confirmed deaths in 2025. The CDC also said MMR coverage among U.S. kindergartners fell to 92.5 percent in the 2024-2025 school year, below the 95 percent level public health officials often cite as important for preventing sustained spread.
Maryland officials said people who have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or were born before 1957, are generally considered protected. Those who are unvaccinated, not fully vaccinated, too young for the vaccine, or immunocompromised face the greatest risk if exposed. Anyone who may have been in one of the listed locations should monitor for 21 days after exposure and call a health care provider before going to a clinic or emergency department if fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes or rash develop. Families should verify immunization records now, because with measles, a brief stop in Pasadena, Annapolis or Glen Burnie can be enough to start a wider chain.
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