DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — A Bucks County adult has been diagnosed with measles after a trip to a part of central Pennsylvania hit hard by the state’s ongoing outbreak, the Bucks County Health Department said Monday.
County officials have not released the person’s age or hometown. They said it is unclear whether the person was vaccinated, but the person is no longer contagious.
The case shows the outbreak, which has mostly been in central Pennsylvania, now reaching the Philadelphia suburbs. Pennsylvania has confirmed more than 1,500 cases this year.
Doctors’ offices notified
The health department has contacted the healthcare providers whose offices the person is known to have visited. It will help those offices reach patients who may have been exposed.
The county has not named any public places where people may have been exposed.
Anyone who thinks they were exposed and plans to seek care should call the doctor’s office, urgent care or hospital first, the county said, so staff can prepare and avoid exposing others.
“Given the ongoing measles outbreak in parts of Pennsylvania, it is reasonable to expect additional cases may be reported here in Bucks County,” the department said in its announcement.
A statewide outbreak
Pennsylvania has confirmed 1,505 measles cases in 45 of its 67 counties this year, according to the state Department of Health’s Nov. 9 update. That compares with 16 cases in the state in all of 2025, according to federal data.
Six deaths have been linked to the outbreak: three in Lancaster County, two in Jefferson County and one in Mifflin County, Patch reported. No deaths have been reported in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Only five of the confirmed cases have been in vaccinated people, according to state figures.
Symptoms and vaccination
Measles usually starts with a cough, runny nose, red eyes, headache and sneezing. A rash then begins on the face and hairline and spreads down the body. County officials said symptoms generally appear 10 to 14 days after exposure.
“The most effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones from measles is vaccination,” said Dr. David Damsker, director of the Bucks County Health Department. “Two doses of the vaccine will be at least 97 percent effective in preventing all illness after exposure to the virus.”
The county said Bucks residents generally have very high measles vaccination rates, which help limit spread and keep most infections mild.
“If you’re unsure of your vaccination status and want to make sure you’re protected, check with your doctor,” Damsker said.
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