Measles cases tied to Ave Maria University reach 20 at local clinic, while state numbers lag behind

AVE MARIA, Fla. —

A clinic in Ave Maria said it has now confirmed 20 measles cases connected to the outbreak at Ave Maria University, even as state health data still shows far lower and outdated totals.

The Florida Department of Health’s public website currently lists four confirmed measles cases in Collier County and one in Lee County. Those numbers, however, are about a week old.

The university has not released official case numbers despite multiple requests for comment.

At Mater Dei Clinic, the primary clinic serving the community, physician assistant Anthony Musingo said the number of confirmed positives rose earlier this week and has since stabilized.

“As of Monday, our numbers updated to 20 positive cases, and it’s remained there since then,” Musingo said. “We’ve had no subsequent positive tests yesterday either. Our testing of university students has slowed, and we’re not clinically seeing measles in the community so far.”

Students say campus life has continued with added health precautions, including on-site medical staff, daily updates from the university, and some exposed students attending classes online.

“I felt pretty comfortable the whole time,” said Hayley Farina, a senior at Ave Maria University. “I’m grateful the university has taken very good care of everyone, so I felt very safe the whole time.”

The university’s Padre Pio Campus Health Clinic also posted new updates online, stating there have been zero new symptomatic measles cases between Feb. 2-4, meaning no students presented high fever and rash during nurse assessments. Several students have also received confirmed negative measles test results, though officials say they remain vigilant in case new cases emerge.

The university noted in an email sent to students that contact tracing suggests the outbreak likely originated from a student’s holiday travel from another state.

Ave Maria University requires students to provide proof of the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, or sign a waiver declining vaccination after being informed of the risks.

“I think the most interesting thing has been hearing stories from people who think it’s very mild versus people that actually have serious cases,” said senior Clare McNeill. “I happen to live with someone who got a very bad case of it. So when you hear people say it’s not that bad, it is actually pretty serious.”

Health officials continue urging anyone with symptoms, including high fever, cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes, followed by a rash, to isolate and contact a health care provider.

The Florida Department of Health has not yet provided updated confirmed case totals. Officials say new numbers are not expected to be posted publicly until next Thursday.

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