The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) is reporting that a wastewater sample from Kauaʻi County has tested positive for measles virus.
The sample was collected on Feb. 25, 2026, at a site in East Kauaʻi County and the DOH was notified of the result on March 16, 2026.
The DOH continues to monitor measles statewide, including on Kauaʻi. Healthcare providers have been notified and reminded to remain alert for patients who may present with symptoms consistent with measles.
A confirmed measles case was reported in Hawaiʻi on March 7, 2026, involving a visitor who had recently arrived from an area of the continental U.S. experiencing measles transmission. The traveler was on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island between Feb. 26 and March 4. Based on the timeline and location, this case does not align with the wastewater detection on Kauaʻi from Feb. 25, 2026.
Measles symptoms usually start with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash of tiny red spots that begins at the head and spreads downward. The disease can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, neurological illness and death.
For more information about measles, visit:
DOH measles information website
CDC measles website
MMR vaccine factsheet
