UPDATED with latest: Just one week after it was confirmed that a person with measles visited Disneyland and California Adventure on January 28, local health officials have discovered a second person who visited the Happiest Place on Earth while infected.
The newly-announced case was identified in a person who visited Disneyland Park on January 22 from approximately 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and California Adventure from approximately 3 p.m. to closing. The person was infectious while at the resort. The visitor on the 28th was also determined to have been infectious while there.
Per Orange County Health Officials, those at the resort during those windows “may be at risk of developing measles from 7 to 21 days after being exposed.”
Local health officials are working with Disneyland Resort to notify potentially-exposed employees and members of the public that visited Disneyland on both dates.
PREVIOUSLY on February 2: Public health officials in Orange and Los Angeles counties have confirmed a person infected with measles visited Disneyland last week.
The individual was at Disneyland and California Adventure from approximately 12:30 p.m. to closing on Wednesday, January 28. Prior to that, the person in question was at Goofy’s Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel, with the potential exposure window there running from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Dr. Pamela Hymel, Chief Medical Officer, Disney Experiences, told Deadline in a statement, “We were notified by the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) on Jan. 31, 2026, that an international traveler who visited Disneyland Resort on Jan. 28, 2026 has since tested positive for the measles. We are closely following all guidance and recommendations by local health officials to support the well-being of our guests and cast members.”
Measles is, according to a consensus from medical experts, one of the most contagious diseases extant — more so than even Ebola or smallpox.
“Measles is a serious respiratory disease that spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, particularly among people who are not already protected from it,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer. “A person can spread the illness to others before they have symptoms, and it can take seven to twenty-one days for symptoms to show up after exposure. Measles can lead to severe disease in young children and vulnerable adults.”
There was a similar incident at the park in 2023 that did not lead to a major outbreak.
A wave of cases was, however, tied to a visitor to the Happiest Place on Earth in 2015.
“The 2014–15 Disneyland measles outbreak that began at the California theme park and spread to 7 U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico sparked an international conversation regarding measles, vaccine hesitancy, and vaccine policies,” according to a report from the National Institute of Health.
An abstract published by the NIH attributed 125 U.S. measles cases to the 2014-2015 outbreak across 7 U.S. states, with most cases occurring among California residents.
“Epidemiological linkages to the outbreak were also reported to cases in Canada and Mexico,” the CDC reported. “In fact, the Public Health Agency of Canada subsequently reported that a single, imported case from the U.S. Disneyland outbreak was the source of a large, Canadian outbreak of more than 150 measles cases. The U.S. Disneyland outbreak was not declared over until mid-April 2015.”
According to the CDC, as of January 30, 2026, just one month into the year, there had already been 588 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. By comparison, 2025 recorded 2,267 cases, the highest annual count in more than 30 years. Three people died in the U.S. last year from the disease.
Measles had been considered eliminated in the U.S. since 2000 due to the wide application of childhood vaccinations against it. However, Trump Administration Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has overseen the removal of recommendations for immunizations against six diseases from its routine childhood schedule. While measles is still recommended, the more skeptical tone toward vaccines has led to falling adoption rates overall and pockets of even lesser uptake.
Currently in the U.S., there are two large outbreaks in Texas and South Carolina. The spike in Texas began just over a year ago, while the South Carolina surge began in October. Since then, cases in South Carolina have rapidly outpaced those from the Texas outbreak, with 847 by the end of January.
The Disneyland infection is the second case of the measles in the region this year.
The infected patient arrived on Viva Aerobus Flight 518 — an international flight — at the Tom Bradley International Airport Terminal B, gate 201A at Los Angeles International Airport last Monday, according to county health officials. The person may have exposed others to the measles virus at Terminal B between Monday at 10:45 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday.
The patient may also have exposed people to the measles virus on Friday at Dunkin’ Donuts, 22020 Ventura Blvd. in Woodland Hills from 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. the same day.
Passengers seated near the infected traveler are being notified by their respective local health departments in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They should monitor themselves for measles symptoms through Feb. 16.
People may be at risk of developing measles for 7 to 21 days after being exposed, which would be Feb. 20.
The other patient, who was not identified, had also recently traveled internationally, according to the department. That person was identified in a health care setting.
Public Health officials were working to identify any other potential exposure sites in L.A. County and any other people who may have been exposed, and will assess their risk for developing a measles infection.
There have been 588 confirmed cases of measles in the nation this year, the highest number of measles cases in January since the U.S. achieved elimination status in 2000, according to the department. Most of these cases are linked to the ongoing measles outbreak in South Carolina and one outbreak each in Arizona and Utah.
There have been two recent cases in Orange County, one in a young adult who had traveled internationally, the other in a toddler.
The OC Health Care Agency learned about one confirmed case of a patient who traveled through LAX and could possibly be the person who arrived Monday. The agency referred to the press release by its Los Angeles County counterparts in its press release.
The HCA Communicable Disease Control Division was working with Disneyland to contact employees who may have been exposed, officials said.
People who might have been exposed were advised to check their immunity status and contact their doctor about receiving the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine if they are unvaccinated or unsure.
“If exposure occurred less than seven days ago: Talk to your health care provider about vaccination or immune globulin for prevention,” advised OC Health officials. “Immunoglobulin is recommended for certain individuals, such as infants under 12 months, pregnant people without immunity or those with weakened immune systems.”
Common symptoms of the virus are fever, cough, red watery eyes and a rash that usually starts on the head and spreads. The virus spreads through the air and by direct contact with an infected person. An infection can be spreading the virus for four days before the rash is noticed.
City News Service contributed to this report.
