We study pandemics, and the resurgence of measles is a grim sign of what’s coming In the three decades between 1993 and 2024, measles in the US was relatively rare—a few hundred cases each year, at most. But suddenly, the disease has become so entrenched in American life that it sometimes fails to make headlines when a new outbreak erupts. As of March 2026, measles has been continuously circulating around the US for more than a year, starting with an [outbreak in Texas][1] that lasted from January to August 2025. Before [that outbreak was declared over][2], an [outbreak on the Utah][3] and [Arizona border][4] began in August and is ongoing. An outbreak in [South Carolina][5] began in September, drastically increased in January 2026, and continues. [Thirty states have had measles cases this year][6]; 47 have seen cases since the start of 2025. Health officials across the US have [confirmed 1,300 infections already this year][7] as of March 6, putting the country on track to surpass 2025’s numbers, which were the highest in 35 years. [Read full article][8] [Comments][9] [1]: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025 [2]: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/texas-announces-en… [3]: https://files.epi.utah.gov/Utah%20measles%20dashboard.html [4]: https://www.azdhs.gov/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-c… [5]: https://dph.sc.gov/diseases-conditions/infectious-disease… [6]: https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html [7]: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/us-measles-total-appro… [8]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/we-study-pandemic… [9]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/we-study-pandemic… Signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium on February 27, 2025 in Seminole, Texas. https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/we-study-pandemic…