The claim
“There are measles outbreaks in three U.S. states.”
Rospotrebnadzor made the claim in a Euronews report published on 7 October 2026, saying it was ready to help the US and citing measles outbreaks in three US states.
Our verdict
False
The claim is false. Official CDC figures show measles outbreaks in far more than three US states — 42 new outbreaks across 47 jurisdictions by 1 October 2026.
What we found
We checked the claim against the latest official surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published on 2 October 2026. The CDC reports 42 new measles outbreaks across 47 US jurisdictions as of 1 October 2026. That directly contradicts the idea that outbreaks are limited to three states. A separate CDC report confirms a large outbreak in South Carolina, but it does not support a three-state total. The claim was made by Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's public health agency, in a Euronews report on 7 October 2026. Because the CDC's own figures are primary, current and clear, we judged the claim false.
The evidence
1 of 3 sources contradict the claim; none support it.
- Contradicts the claim
The CDC reports measles cases across 47 US jurisdictions and 42 new outbreaks in 2026 as of 1 October 2026, contradicting the claim that outbreaks are limited to only three states.
cdc.gov· Measles Cases and OutbreaksOctober 2, 2026
- Background
Euronews reported that Rospotrebnadzor said it was ready to assist the US and cited measles outbreaks in three US states.
www.euronews.com· Trump to talk plague with Putin as Russia plays down fears of outbreakOctober 7, 2026
- Background
A CDC report confirms a measles outbreak in South Carolina with 997 reported cases between October 2025 and March 2026, but it does not support a three-state total.
CDC· Nowcasting to Estimate Real-Time Measles Transmission Trends — South Carolina, October 2025–March 2026August 27, 2026
How we checked
We looked at official CDC measles surveillance data and reports, plus the news report in which the claim was made, to compare the stated number of affected states with the latest published figures. We reviewed 3 relevant sources.
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