Health officials release 7 locations for ‘potential exposures’ to measles case in Illinois – NBC Chicago
2025-04-24T22:15:08Z
A Walmart, a restaurant, a grocery store and more are among the locations where potential exposures to a measles case in Illinois may have taken place.
A Walmart, a restaurant, a grocery store and more are among the locations where potential exposures to a measles case in Illinois may have taken place, health officials warned Thursday.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, seven locations have been identified as “sites of potential exposures” between April 7 and April 15.
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“Anyone at those locations in that time frame should contact their health care provider if they exhibit measles symptoms,” the department said in a release, noting that the risk of contracting measles in the general public in Illinois remains low.
The new information comes one day after the state reported its first confirmed measles case of 2025.
The possible exposure locations include:
Don Sol Restaurant, Marion IL
Legacy Fitness, Marion IL
Walmart, Marion IL
Kroger Grocery, Marion IL
Wonder Wash Laundry, Marion IL
Easy Coin Laundry, Marion IL
Small Star Laundry, Marion IL
Officials urged anyone who visited those locations during the timing window to monitor for symptoms for 21 days from the day they were potentially exposed. Symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose, pink eye or a rash that starts around the head or face and spreads through the rest of the body.
“The chances of infection are minimal for those who are immune to measles either from vaccination or prior infection. If anyone exposed starts exhibiting measles symptoms, they should notify their medical provider,” IDPH said in its alert. “If someone with measles symptoms needs to be seen in person by a health care professional, they should notify their provider or health facility in advance so appropriate precautions can be taken to avoid additional exposures or spread of the illness.”
Illinois health officials first announced the confirmed case Wednesday, noting that it was reported in a patient in far southern Illinois. The case was confirmed through laboratory testing, with no outbreak currently present in the state.
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The case marks the first in Illinois since an outbreak in Chicago in early 2024 that resulted in a total of 67 cases.
Currently, an outbreak in Texas and New Mexico has led to over 680 confirmed cases and three deaths, with over 800 cases reported nationwide, officials said.
“This first reported case of measles in Illinois in 2025 is a reminder to our Illinois residents that this disease can be prevented with up-to-date vaccination,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said.
Most people are vaccinated routinely during childhood and are not a high risk of measles.
Officials said the highest concern is for infants, as children receive their first vaccine dose between 12 and 15 months of age, and individuals who can’t get vaccinated for other health concerns.
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to measles are encouraged to contact their health care provider about protection through prior vaccination or the need for future vaccination.
“The key to preventing measles is the highly effective measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of measles vaccine are 97% effective in preventing measles,” Vohra said. “I recommend that our Illinois residents make sure that they and their family members are up to date on the MMR vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations.”
As part of preparations for a potential measles outbreak, Illinois health officials previously launched a Measles Outbreak Simulator Dashboard, which shows the potential progress of an outbreak in schools based on vaccination data.
More information on measles can be found here.
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