An infectious disease expert weighs in about Michigan’s recent mumps and measles cases.
“They’re both concerning,” said Dr. Matthew Sims, Director of Infectious Disease Research at Corewell Health. “They have different issues. Measles is a little more contagious, a little more dangerous, I think.”
On Friday (April 4), a third measles case was confirmed in the state in 2025.
The latest case was reported in Macomb County.
Health officials said they were not out in public during their infectious period, so there are no known public exposure locations.
On Friday, Oakland County health officials reported a case of the mumps. They said it’s the first case in the county since 2022 and the ninth mumps case in Michigan in 2025.
Mumps is a contagious viral infection that affects the salivary glands.
The MMR vaccine covers both mumps and measles, which stands for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella.
“When people are getting the vaccines, these diseases are almost non-existent,” Sims said. “When people aren’t getting the vaccines, that’s when we get these outbreaks. And the majority of the people affected are not vaccinated or inadequately vaccinated.”
