The Southern Nevada Health District notified the public on Thursday that it has detected the Measles virus in the region’s wastewater.
Health District officials said the Measles virus was confirmed in a single sample of Clark County’s wastewater. However, following further testing, a second sample came up negative.
Despite this, the Health District said there are no confirmed cases of Measles in Southern Nevada, and there haven't been since 2018.
Dr. Rosanne Sugay is the Health District’s medical epidemiologist. She said that time will tell whether this positive wastewater test is an early indicator of community spread.
“Somebody was shedding viral particles into the wastewater," Sugay said. "Whether that’s an unreported measles infection, or somebody who was traveling through the area, there’s no way for us to know on one wastewater sample.”
In the meantime, the Health District encourages people to remain up to date on all vaccinations, including the measles, mumps, and rubella [MMR] vaccine, which is required by CCSD for enrollment in the 2025-26 academic year, beginning Monday, August 11.
