The CDC has now confirmed 4,852 measles cases so far in 2026, the highest yearly total in 35 years, CIDRAP reported Oct. 31.
Here are the most recent updates in the measles and Ebola outbreaks.
Measles
1. The CDC has logged 43 measles outbreaks across the nation so far in 2026. Of confirmed cases, 11% required hospitalization.
2. The CDC confirmed 264 new cases in the past week, roughly what the U.S. once recorded in a full year or even two. It was the 12th straight week of triple-digit increases.
3. Pennsylvania remains the nation’s measles hot spot, with 1,426 cases this year, including 88 confirmed this week. The state has reported five measles deaths.
4. Federal health scientists are trying to raise awareness of the risks of measles during pregnancy as cases surge, but where this information will be published remains uncertain, The Washington Post reported. The CDC has sought to issue an alert through its Health Alert Network to provide guidance, as many clinicians are seeing unvaccinated pregnant women with measles for the first time, but the alert has not been approved by the CDC director’s office. Scientists have turned to publishing information through the agency’s flagship weekly scientific journal, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, but it requires extensive internal review and takes longer to publish. In recent weeks as vaccine-related reports have faced delays some are discussing publishing measles information in an outside scientific journal, according to the Post.
5. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ historical reports found about a quarter of children born to mothers who are infected with measles in the days before labor are likely to acquire the disease. No data on the rate of congenital measles has been publicly released yet, according to The Atlantic.
Ebola
1. As of Oct. 31, there have been 10,351 confirmed cases and 5,026 deaths from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
2. On Nov. 3, a CDC order will take effect that requires all U.S.-bound airline passengers and crew members to file digital or paper attestations, confirming they have not been in Congo in the prior 21 days. Airlines are asking the agency to reconsider, saying the processes and training to implement this change cannot be done in time, Reuters reported.
3. Ebola has now spread to five countries. Kenya has reported its second Ebola death in a woman who was a close relative to the first patient, and has reported eight cases. Nigeria’s first only Ebola patient has been transferred to Switzerland for treatment.
4. Protests in Congo have led to the death of a nurse and the serious injuring of another healthcare worker, the United Nations reported. The protests have continued as the country grapples with containing the outbreak.
5. Africa CDC reported that two-thirds of the roughly $2.9 billion pledged by international partners to the outbreak have not been distributed yet.
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