Published October 5, 2026 at 5:44 PM EDT

A minor has tested positive for measles in Allegheny County, according to a statement from the health department Monday. Officials declined to specify the patient’s age, but said they were under 18 and unvaccinated.

The patient visited the Target at 9805 McKnight Road on Thursday Oct. 1, according to county officials. Anyone who visited the store between 3:45 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. Thursday may have been exposed to the virus. The Target is in the Pine Creek Shopping Center.

Officials said there have not been any school exposures related to this patient.

The case marks the first among Allegheny County residents, though people at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh were exposed to the virus in August when patients from out of town visited the emergency room.

Individuals who have not received a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are at the highest risk for infection. Those who are concerned that they were exposed should contact their healthcare provider for next steps, officials said.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that infects the lungs and spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus remains in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area.

Symptoms to watch for include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes followed by the hallmark rash that starts on the head and spreads downward.

While one dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective against measles, two doses bring that protection to 97%.

The Allegheny County case is among the latest infections amid a statewide outbreak of measles across Pennsylvania. The state outbreak crossed 1,004 cases this week, making it the nation’s largest measles outbreak in the last three decades. Five people have died with infections and nearly 200 people have been hospitalized.

Health providers across Pennsylvania have administered nearly double the number of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines in a typical month since the outbreak began. Pennsylvania medical providers typically administer around 25,000 doses of the MMR vaccine per month. In August, that number jumped to 49,000 doses. In September, providers administered 53,000 doses of the vaccine.

More than half of the state’s 67 counties have tallied cases so far this year. Nearly 30 new infections were reported just over the weekend.