The measles outbreak in Collier County, Florida, has grown to include 20 confirmed cases, quickly outpacing the lagging numbers reported from state- and federal-level health agencies.
Data compiled by the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation (CORI) at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security provides a more recent snapshot of the number of measles cases nationwide.
The data, which has been visualized into a map of measles cases, gives a glimpse of how Florida is faring compared to the rest of the country. And it’s not great.
Here’s what we know about the number of measles cases in Florida and how the state compares nationwide.
Florida measles cases in 2026 have likely tripled compared to last year
Reporting an exact number of confirmed cases amid a disease outbreak is difficult. Estimates based on data from the Florida Department of Health and reports from local health care providers indicate that Florida likely has at least triple the number of measles cases it reported in all of 2025.
FDOH updated its website on Feb. 5, officially acknowledging the cases for the first time, but only provided data up to Jan. 31. It reported 15 confirmed measles cases.
Four measles cases were confirmed in Collier County during the week ending on Jan. 31, according to FDOH.
There have been 20 confirmed cases of measles amid the outbreak at Ave Maria University so far, according to Collier County health providers. Accounting for those four cases would put Florida’s estimated total number of measles cases just north of 30.
New measles cases have been reported outside of Southwest Florida in the past week, too, bumping estimates even higher. Health providers in Escambia County reported the first measles case in the county in at least 30 years.
More cases are likely to be confirmed in Collier County, but concrete numbers may be harder to come by moving forward.
The number of confirmed cases is based on what one testing location, Mater Dei Clinic, in the community has and is sharing, while DOH and university officials do not respond to media requests, according to Naples Daily News.
Mater Dei Clinic became the main source for students to get tested after the first two cases of measles were confirmed. After the DOH and Ave Maria University set up testing for students and contact tracing, the clinic expects fewer students to come for testing.
Where have measles cases been reported in Florida?
Here’s a look at the most recent number of measles cases in Florida that we are currently aware of:
These cases are based on data from the Florida Department of Health and reporting from the USA TODAY Network-Florida.
How many measles cases have been reported in US in 2026?
There have been 588 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. as of noon on Jan. 29, according to the CDC. For comparison, in January alone, the U.S. had more than a quarter of the cases it had in all of 2025 (2,267). Three people died with measles last year. There have been no reported deaths in 2026.
That number is expected to climb to at least 738, according to more recent data from Johns Hopkins.
How do measles cases in Florida compare to US?
Without factoring in its recent outbreak, Florida would still rank No. 5 in the country for the most measles cases, with nine. South Carolina leads the nation with 467 confirmed cases, accounting for nearly 80% of cases nationwide.
The start of Florida’s measles outbreak puts it in the No. 4 spot, with 21 cases, according to Johns Hopkins’ data. The last case reported to its database was on Feb. 3, and it does not include the additional 8 cases confirmed since then.
The FDOH’s recent numbers were not included since a direct comparison can’t be made until the CDC updates its national database.
Here’s a look at the 21 states that have reported measles cases in 2026:
Brandon Girod is the digital coach at the Pensacola News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. You can get all of Pensacola’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free Daily Briefing newsletter, atpnj.com/newsletters.
Contributing: Liz Freeman, Fort Myers News-Press and Naples Daily News
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Where does Florida rank in measles cases compared to US now?
Reporting by Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
