Tracking Emerging Public Health Challenges – February 3, 2026 – Measles
The cases were detected Friday, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, confirming that two detainees had “active measles infections.” The facility in Dilley, Texas, located about an hour away from San Antonio, holds parents suspected of immigration violations alongside their children.
Some detainees have been quarantined, McLaughlin said, adding that everyone is “being provided with proper medical care.””
“As the level of measles vaccination drops, the number of outbreaks is only going to go up, s preading the disease among vulnerable populations in crowded areas like ICE detention centers and prisons…” (1)
“Those outbreaks may now be colliding with immigration sweeps that have sent detainees around the country to the huge detention facilities in Texas. About 70,000 people are in detention across the United States, with nearly 18,000 of them in Texas. That total is up from the 40,000 detained before Mr. Trump took office last January.”
“On Jan. 21, the Arizona Public Health Department confirmed an active measles case of a Mexican national detained at the Florence Detention Center in Arizona, a homeland security spokeswoman said in a separate statement.
On Monday, a spokeswoman for the Pinal County Public Health Services District, where the Florence facility is, said there were three measles cases in the county involving individuals in federal custody. Jassmin Castro, the spokeswoman, said the individuals were recovering and did not require hospitalization. She declined to share which facility they are in.” (2)
“A measles outbreak at Ave Maria University is now up to 11 confirmed cases, with 24 more people awaiting results after a potential measles cluster was identified at the university, according to the school’s clinic.”
“The clinic is focusing on testing due to the high risk of transmission, as an unvaccinated person has a 90% chance of contracting measles if exposed to an infected individual.”
“The Florida Department of Health in Collier County is investigating possible exposures and will alert the community with its findings.”
“The Department of Health is collaborating with Ave Maria University officials to provide resources on campus and monitor the situation.” (3)
1.Measles Overtakes ICE Detention Center as Immigrants Remain Trapped, by Hafiz Rashid, https://newrepublic.com/post/206044/ice-detention-center-lockdown-measles-outbreak
2.Measles Hits ICE Family Detention Center in Texas, By Pooja Salhotra, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/us/politics/ice-measles-texas.html
3.Measles outbreak confirmed at Ave Maria University in Florida; 11 cases, 3 hospitalized, by Derrick Shawand and Kyle Schmidt, https://www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/measles-outbreak-ave-maria-university-naples-florida/70223130
curated by Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H.
Clinical Professor of Environmental Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai