Measles is one of the most infectious diseases; up to 9 out of 10 susceptible persons who come into close contact with an infected person will develop measles. To prepare their hospital for an outbreak, infection preventionists need to form an effective measles outbreak response.
The number of outbreak-associated cases is increasing in the U.S. From January 1 to June 5, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 1,168 confirmed cases of measles across 34 states, with 89% of cases confirmed to be outbreak-associated compared to 69% of cases considered outbreak-associated in 2024. Measles is still common in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the U.S., international travelers with measles continue to spread the disease, and the majority of people who got measles were unvaccinated. These factors make measles a key area of focus for infection prevention teams for the foreseeable future. To help infection prevention teams stay informed, the CDC provides a measles tracker, updated weekly, which offers valuable awareness of current trends and outbreaks.
Managing measles in healthcare settings: A guide for infection preventionists
Planning is essential, whether your hospital is in a community with known measles or not. Review your processes and ensure leadership, providers, and others are aware of how suspected or confirmed patients with measles are managed.
As an infection preventionist, once measles is identified in the healthcare setting, you know that you’re dealing with a highly contagious virus that is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or by particles in the air that can remain infectious for up to two hours even after an infected person has left the area. With that said, timeliness is critical, and facilities need to identify infectious patients as early as possible.
When a case occurs in a healthcare facility, many extensive measures must be taken immediately, including:
- Decisions with patient placement, including patient isolation in a special airborne infection isolation room (AIIR) if available
- Use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) by healthcare personnel
- Exclusion of susceptible healthcare personnel from patient care activities
- Mandated reporting to public health
- Identification of exposed staff
- Post-exposure prophylaxis or exclusion of any exposed and susceptible staff
- Ongoing surveillance for any additional cases moving forward
How can you prevent a measles outbreak?
The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, is the most effective way to prevent measles by enabling the immune system to develop long-term protection. For adults, particularly healthcare workers who are frequently exposed to infectious diseases, maintaining immunity is crucial. This is not just for their own health, but also to safeguard vulnerable groups like infants, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals. OSHA emphasizes the importance of immunity in high-risk environments. There is no approved “treatment” for measles, but rather treatment from the complications associated with the infection. Therefore, prevention is key. If you are unsure if it is time for a booster or if you have other measles-related questions, the CDC has compiled a list of frequently asked questions.
Three ways clinical surveillance technology can improve your response to measles outbreaks
Managing all of the elements of your measles outbreak response is a lot as an infection preventionist, especially when other healthcare-associated infections also take center stage. A recent analysis of measles outbreaks underscores the indispensable role of an integrated infection prevention response in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases. Findings from the CDC and new insights from JAMA reveal how organizations can leverage standardized processes, community engagement, and advanced technologies to effectively manage outbreaks. The ability to respond in real-time remains the most crucial factor in controlling disease transmission, protecting communities, and saving lives.
The CDC's report highlights the persistent risk of outbreak-associated measles cases, particularly in areas with low vaccination coverage. It emphasizes collaborative efforts with trusted community messengers, such as healthcare providers and local leaders, to increase vaccination rates and promote culturally competent public health measures. Meanwhile, JAMA's research explores the benefits of modeling and surveillance systems to predict outbreak scenarios and adapt prevention strategies swiftly.
This collaborative focus on real-time adaptability and technology-powered solutions explains why an infection prevention and control plan is vital for healthcare institutions. Here are three ways to leverage clinical surveillance technology to prepare for measles or any potential outbreak:
- Leverage surveillance technology and evidence-based content to quickly identify infectious diseases or conditions. Your health care technology systems, including your EHR, contain a wealth of data, from clinical notes, vitals, or lab data that must be tapped to stay one step ahead. Leveraging third-party surveillance solutions that integrate with the EHR allows you to monitor patient information in real-time across systems, making infection prevention more efficient and effective. Advanced technology is required to normalize data across disparate systems and identify trends by searching for keywords or results that might identify an infectious yet preventable condition, like measles, alongside healthcare-associated infections.
- Configure real-time alerts that you can trust, delivered to a mobile device, allowing for timely infection prevention strategies. You are constantly on the go, and not having to rely on manual review of patient charts and compiling information is critical to a timely response to an infectious risk. Clinical surveillance solutions allow you to configure automatic email alerts if a patient is identified or when key thresholds are met, empowering your team to respond quickly with appropriate infection prevention measures. This can be accomplished because the robust functionality that typically comes with these systems allows you to analyze and identify trends based on built-in statistical models, defined thresholds, or evidence-based rules/parameters set up to track key infectious diseases that are part of your facility’s infection prevention and control plan.
- Streamline reporting to public health authorities: As an IP, you spend a lot of time monitoring and reporting infectious diseases or conditions, from measles to C. difficile to meningococcal disease. Surveillance technology can lighten your load by automatically creating event forms for reporting to local/state public health agencies or to national regulatory agencies like NHSN. Effective reporting enhances coordination with local and national agencies, ensuring swift responses during critical situations.
Clinical surveillance technology for infection prevention empowers your team with technology to respond in real-time to prevent the spread of measles. An integrated approach, along with real-time information sharing that keeps all stakeholders up-to-date on risks and prevention strategies, is critical for measles outbreak containment and for the general safety of all patients, visitors, and staff.
