California warns of measles exposure across six counties after infected train passenger's journey
California health officials are warning of possible measles exposure in six counties after an infected, unvaccinated passenger traveled through the state on Amtrak trains and buses. The case comes amid the largest measles resurgence in the US in over three decades.
California's public health department has issued a warning about possible measles exposure after an infected and unvaccinated passenger traveled through at least six counties — Alameda, Butte, Kern, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Joaquin — while transferring between Amtrak trains and thruway buses.
The traveler entered California on an Amtrak train that arrived in Los Angeles on September 10, then continued to Bakersfield before passing through Stockton, Oroville, Sacramento and Emeryville, eventually leaving the state for Denver. Health officials said anyone who was on the same trains or buses, or inside the stations along the route on the relevant dates, may have been exposed.
The state is working with federal partners and local health departments to identify and notify people who may have come into contact with the virus. Assistant state public health officer Rita Nguyen said the case, along with earlier measles outbreaks in California this year, underscores the importance of vaccination, noting that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides long-lasting protection.
Pennsylvania's outbreak worsens
Pennsylvania is currently facing the country's worst active measles outbreak, with 731 confirmed cases across 38 counties announced this week and at least four related deaths. The state is seeking emergency assistance from the CDC but has warned it may withdraw the request unless the agency publicly acknowledges the four deaths — something health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr previously instructed the CDC not to do.
Kennedy recently spoke at a Washington DC conference held by an anti-vaccine organization he formerly led, addressing the Pennsylvania outbreak only briefly while raising unfounded concerns about vaccines instead.
The California warning follows a separate recent incident in which a measles-infected person traveled on an Amtrak train from Missouri to Illinois, exposing more than 250 people. It was also revealed this month that the Trump administration changed how measles deaths are counted, though the reason for the change remains unclear.
