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Health

County health officials confirm fifth measles case in Los Angeles

A hand holds a small vial between its pointer finger and thumb. The vial says "single dose measles, mumps, and rubella virus vaccine" it has a blue cap. The background is blurred.
Officials recommend checking your vaccination status if you were exposed to measles.
(
PATRICK T. FALLON
/
AFP via Getty Images
)

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Topline:

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed its fifth measles case of the year. The person flew into LAX on Thursday, May 14.

Why now: The resident was traveling internationally and arrived at Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B) at LAX on May 14 via Alaska Airlines Flight 1354, departing from Guatemala City. Anyone in the terminal between 6 and 8 a.m. that morning may have been exposed.

What's next: Public health officials say passengers seated near the infected traveler will be notified by their respective local health departments. They are working to find additional exposure sites that the traveler visited in L.A. County.

What you should do: If you were at LAX during that time, officials say you should check your vaccination status.

Those exposed could be at risk of developing measles one to three weeks after exposure. If you do develop symptoms of measles, officials advise you to call your doctor as soon as possible, and before going in, since it’s so contagious.

Symptoms include: High fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a rash three to five days after other symptoms. 

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Vulnerable populations: If you’re pregnant, have an infant, have a weakened immune system or are not immunized, call your doctor right away after possible exposure, even if you don’t have symptoms.

The bigger picture: According to the CDC, there have been 27 new outbreaks of measles across the United States this year, with 1,893 cases so far.

In 2025, there were 48 outbreaks across the U.S., with a total of 2,288 confirmed cases. Nine were in Los Angeles County.

Go deeper: Measles is back in California. Health departments are fighting it with less

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