The US Department of Homeland Security says a person in detention at an Arizona Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility has measles, a highly contagious virus that can cause high fevers and a distinctive rash.
Earlier this month, "the Arizona Public Health Department confirmed an active measles infection of a Mexican national detainee housed at the Florence Detention Center," a DHS spokesperson said in an email Wednesday.
"ICE Health Services Corp immediately took steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility and quarantining all individuals suspected of making contact with the infected," the email said.
The Florence Detention Center is located in Pinal County, Arizona, and since that initial case, two additional measles cases have been identified in the county.
"At this time, Pinal County Public Health Services District has confirmed three measles cases in the county," spokesperson Jassmin Castro said in an email Wednesday. "PCPHSD continues to follow standard public health protocols for confirmed measles cases, in coordination with state public health partners. At this time, the overall risk to the general community remains low."
The Florence Detention Center in Arizona is operated by the private company CoreCivic, which provides detainees with health care services including screening, prevention, health education, diagnosis and treatment, company spokesperson Brian Todd said in an email Wednesday.
"The health and safety of those entrusted to our care is the top priority for CoreCivic. This commitment is shared by our government partners at ICE, and we work closely with them to ensure the well-being of everyone in our care," Todd said in the email.
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"All detainees have daily access to sign up for medical care and mental health services. For those medical needs requiring specialized care, the facility works closely with local hospitals and providers to meet those needs. Emergency care is available 24 hours a day, seven days per week."
In 2016, a measles outbreak at an ICE detention center inPinal Countyresulted in more than 30 cases of measles among detainees and nine staff members, according to areportpublished by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since the start of this year, 25 measles cases have been reported across the state of Arizona.
Nationwide, the United States last year recorded 2,242 measles infections, significantly more than there have been in any year since measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000.
"Per our most recent data, three of those cases are from Pinal, 17 related to the Mohave outbreak that we know has been ongoing since last year, three in Maricopa and one in Pima County," Dr. Joel Terriquez, medical director for the state's Bureau of Infectious Diseases and the Bureau of Immunizations, said on a news call Tuesday.
Before 2025, there were an average of about 180 measles cases reported each year since elimination, according to CDC data. But so far this year, there already have been at least 416 confirmed measles cases reported in the US.
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