Biomarker Measles

<p style='margin-left:0px;'>Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can cause serious complications, especially in young children, pregnant individuals, and those with weakened immune systems. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. For more information visit the <a href='https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccines/index.html' rel='nofollow ugc'>CDC’s measles webpage</a>.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:0px;'>In March 2025, Tempe expanded the BioIntel program to include wastewater testing for measles and other health markers using a method called quantitative PCR (qPCR). In February 2026, the city upgraded to a more sensitive testing method called digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) and increased testing from once to twice per week to better track community health trends. Results from the updated testing method (ddPCR) began on February 17, 2026. This data, alongside other key health indicators, is used to safeguard community health.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:0px;'><strong>To learn more about how Tempe's wastewater data is being used to inform community health, navigate to </strong><a href='https://wastewater.tempe.gov/pages/biomarker-measles#FAQs' rel='nofollow ugc'>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</a>.&nbsp;</p><p style='margin-left:0px;'>Explore the <a href='https://wastewater.tempe.gov/pages/history' rel='nofollow ugc'>History page</a> to learn about how the program has evolved since its launch in 2018.&nbsp;</p><p>Site is Google Translate enabled.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp;</p><p>DO NOT DELETE OR MODIFY THIS ITEM. This item is managed by the ArcGIS Hub application. To make changes to this page, please visit https://tempegov.hub.arcgis.com:/overview/edit.</p>