Possible measles exposure reported on Amtrak, at Minot train station

People on board an Amtrak train and at the Minot train station on Sept. 23 may have been exposed to the measles. 

The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services reported Friday that a westbound train passenger with the measles traveled through North Dakota, using the restroom at the Minot station about 9:30 a.m. 

The passenger got on the Empire Builder in Chicago, but the agency did not know their destination, though it was not in North Dakota.

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People who think they may have been exposed and who have not received a dose of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine should avoid contact with others and monitor for measles symptoms for 21 days after exposure, the agency said in a news release.

People who develop measles symptoms should notify their healthcare provider or a healthcare facility before seeking in-person treatment. This will allow the facility to make arrangements to prevent exposure to other patients and medical staff.

“This serves as a reminder to North Dakotans that measles continues to circulate with 2026 seeing the highest number of measles cases in the United States since 1986,” Mary Woinarowicz, North Dakota Health and Human Services immunization director, said in the news release.

North Dakota has had 38 confirmed cases of measles so far in 2026 but has not had a reported case since May.

As of Thursday, there had been 3,887 confirmed measles cases in the United States this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Woinarowicz said the MMR vaccine is 93% effective after one dose and 97% effective after two doses and encouraged people to get vaccinated.