FILE - A vial of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is on display at the Lubbock Health Department, Feb. 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)

Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff reported the first measles cases in the state for 2026, involving three children that have been confirmed with the infection in Cuyahoga County.

In a release from ODH on Friday, one of the cases began at the end of 2025. It was reported all three children were unvaccinated when they were exposed to the infection while traveling. The children had traveled to an area within the U.S. that had experienced a measles outbreak.

“The fact that we again have measles cases in Ohio underlines the importance of being fully vaccinated,” said Vanderhoff.

The ODH reported it is working with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to promote vaccinations and look into possible exposures.

According to the ODH, measles is extremely contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing. The virus can live for up to two hours in the air after an infected individual has coughed or sneezed.

This undated image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Feb. 4, 2015 shows an electron microscope image of a measles virus particle, center. Measles outbreaks in the U.S. and abroad are raising health experts' concern about the preventable, once-common childhood virus. The CDC on Thursday, April 11, 2024 released a report on recent measles case trends, noting that cases in the first three months of this year were 17 times higher than the average number seen in the first three months of the previous three years. (Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP)

Injection occurs when an unvaccinated individual breathes the contaminated air or interacts with a surface and touches any sinus passageways.

“This disease can be very serious, but it is also preventable,” said Vanderhoff. “I strongly encourage you to protect yourselves and your children by getting vaccinated.”

According to ODH, measles symptoms include high fever, cough, rash, red and water eyes and loss of appetite.

The rash typically lasts five to six days and begins at the hairline and moves down the face and neck and eventually the body. Other symptoms include diarrhea and ear infections along with severe complications.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends all children receive the vaccine as well as those whose vaccination status is unknown.

FILE - Covenant Children's Hospital is pictured from outside the emergency entrance on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas, after the first U.S. death from measles since 2015. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)

Ohio had 45 confirmed measles cases in 2025 and seven in 2024. There was one case in 2023 and 90 reported in 2022.

Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department Public Information Officer Amy Phelps said there were no potential or confirmed measles cases reported in the area in West Virginia.

For more information on measles and vaccinations visit the Marietta/Belpre Health Department or the MOVHD.