Sudan in CDC's top 10 measles outbreak list for March to August 2026

Sudan reported 4,285 measles cases to the World Health Organization (WHO) between March and August 2026, putting it 10th in a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) table of the 10 countries with the most measles cases. Bangladesh tops the ranking with 65,439 cases over the same period.

Key facts

• Reporting period: March through August 2026
• Source of figures: WHO data compiled by the CDC; provisional monthly surveillance data reported to WHO in Geneva as of October 2026
• CDC page status: first published on 15 May 2024, last updated and reviewed on 13 October 2026
• Top three: Bangladesh 65,439 cases, Indonesia 46,578, Guatemala 31,222
• Sudan: 4,285 cases, the smallest count among the 10 countries listed
• WHO refreshes its outbreak data every month, so totals and rankings can change

Which countries are on the list?

The CDC table ranks countries by reported case count alone. In order after Bangladesh, Indonesia and Guatemala come India with 18,863 cases, Yemen with 12,931, Pakistan with 9,130, Mexico with 6,844, Cameroon with 6,099, South Africa with 5,209 and Sudan with 4,285.

The table gives no other figure for any of the 10 countries. It does not break cases down by area or month, and it does not say whether a country's total comes from a single outbreak or several.

How should travellers read these numbers?

These are raw case totals, not per-capita figures. A high count shows how many cases a country reported, not how likely any one visitor is to be exposed. The table gives no population adjustment, no incidence rate, no vaccination coverage and no travel advisory level, and it does not rank destinations as safer or riskier for an individual traveller.

The figures are provisional and subject to revision. The CDC labels the countries as having measles outbreaks, a term health officials apply when a place records more cases than would normally be expected there; the table does not publish each country's expected baseline.

What does the CDC say about measles and travel?

The CDC describes measles as one of the most contagious diseases known to affect humans, and says that degree of contagiousness lets the virus cross international borders easily. The agency says measles outbreaks are currently occurring in every region of the world, so avoiding the countries on this list does not by itself remove the chance of exposure.

The CDC also notes that a person who lacks protection against measles can pick up the virus abroad and pass it on to others after returning home. The agency estimates that 10.3 million people were infected with measles worldwide in 2023. Global measles incidence dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic and has climbed since, both around the world and in the US, the CDC reports.

The CDC treats a person as under-vaccinated if they have missed one or both doses of the measles vaccine, and says an outbreak can begin in any community where some residents are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated.

What this means for travellers

Travellers planning trips to any of the 10 countries can check their own vaccination records against the CDC's definition of under-vaccinated before departure. The CDC directs people planning a trip to its Travelers' Health website for destination-specific guidance.

WHO updates its outbreak data every month, so both the case totals and the order of countries may change in the next refresh. The figures remain provisional until revised.