The Wood County Health Department has confirmed a measles case in Bowling Green, Ohio, and is asking anyone who was at four locations between Sept. 23 and Sept. 28 to check their immunity and watch for symptoms. The sites are classroom buildings at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Pagliai's Restaurant, the Wood County Hospital emergency department (during two long windows), and Falcon Health Center.
In a Sept. 29 media release announcing the measles case, the department said, "Most people in our community are protected through vaccination, and the overall risk to the public remains low." It did not release the person's age, vaccination status, or how the infection was acquired.
Timing matters for anyone who is not protected. The MMR vaccine given within 72 hours of exposure may prevent illness. For people at Falcon Health Center on Sept. 28, that window closes on Oct. 1. For the earlier sites, it has already passed.
Every Exposure Site and Time Window
The department listed the following locations and times, which were also reported by WTVG 13abc in Toledo.
On Sept. 23, the person was at BGSU in Overman Hall and/or the Physical Science Building. The department did not give specific hours for the campus visit. Later that day, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the person was at Pagliai's Restaurant in Bowling Green.
The person was then at the Wood County Hospital Emergency Department during two windows. The first ran from 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 to 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 25. The second ran from 6:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Sept. 25.
The last listed exposure was at Falcon Health Center on Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Anyone who was at one of these places during those times is asked to fill out the department's Measles Close Contact Investigation Form, available at woodcountyhealth.org and on the department's social media pages.
Why Shared Indoor Spaces Matter
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases. According to the CDC's clinical overview for health care providers, "Up to 9 out of 10 susceptible people with close contact to a measles patient will develop measles," and the virus can stay infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
That is why the exposure list matters even though the overall risk is low. Classrooms and restaurants put many people in the same indoor air. Emergency departments can bring together babies too young to be vaccinated, pregnant patients, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, often for hours. The two ER windows cover nearly 13 hours combined.
The CDC says people with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears through four days after, so they can spread the virus before they know they are sick.
Checking Protection and Acting Fast
The health department considers people protected if they were born before 1957, have documentation of at least one dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, or have had measles diagnosed by a health care provider. Two MMR doses are recommended for full protection.
People who are protected should watch for symptoms for 21 days after exposure. People who are not protected, or are unsure, should call their health care provider right away, the department said. Under CDC guidance on measles post-exposure protection, people who miss the 72-hour vaccine window may be able to receive immune globulin, an antibody treatment, within six days of exposure. It is often used for people at higher risk of complications, such as infants and pregnant or immunocompromised patients. Babies usually get their first MMR dose at 12 to 15 months, and the vaccine is not given during pregnancy, so parents of infants and pregnant people who were at any of the sites should call a provider promptly rather than wait for symptoms.
Symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash that usually starts on the face. The CDC says the rash usually appears about 14 days after exposure, and the department advises watching for up to 21 days. For people exposed on Sept. 23, that period runs through Oct. 14. For the hospital exposures, it runs through Oct. 16, and for the Sept. 28 exposure, through Oct. 19.
Anyone who develops a fever or unexplained rash should call ahead before visiting a clinic, urgent care, or ER and limit contact with others. Calling first lets staff take steps so other patients are not exposed.
Ohio's Measles Count Climbs
The Bowling Green case comes as Ohio's measles count has climbed sharply this year. MedicalDaily reported that Ohio had 180 confirmed cases as of Sept. 15, four times the state's 2025 total of 45, with the largest county counts in northeast Ohio.
Nationally, the CDC reports 3,659 confirmed measles cases this year as of Sept. 24, with 95% linked to outbreaks and two deaths.
College students who are unsure of their vaccine history can ask a parent, their childhood pediatrician, or a health care provider to help find their records. The department has not said whether any additional cases are linked to this one.
Key Questions Answered
Where could people have been exposed to measles in Bowling Green?
BGSU's Overman Hall and/or Physical Science Building on Sept. 23; Pagliai's Restaurant on Sept. 23 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Wood County Hospital's emergency department from 8:30 p.m. Sept. 24 to 1:30 a.m. Sept. 25 and from 6:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Sept. 25; and Falcon Health Center on Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Is the public at high risk?
No. The Wood County Health Department says most people are protected by vaccination and the overall risk to the public is low.
Who is considered protected?
People born before 1957, those with at least one documented MMR dose, and those who have had measles diagnosed by a health care provider.
What should unprotected people who were exposed do?
Call a health care provider right away. The MMR vaccine given within 72 hours of exposure may prevent illness, and immune globulin may be an option within six days.
What symptoms should people watch for?
Fever, runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, and a rash, for up to 21 days after exposure.
What should someone with symptoms do?
Call ahead before going to any medical facility and limit contact with others.
Published by Medicaldaily.com
