India, Sept. 23 -- Wisconsin's measles crisis has escalated to alarming levels, with the highly contagious virus breaching county boundaries and establishing new infection sites across the state. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirmed a new case of measles in Marathon County in the central part of the state, whilst the state continues to deal with an outbreak in southwestern Wisconsin that has risen to over 155 cases. State epidemiologists say the geographic expansion signals community transmission patterns they had hoped to prevent.

The outbreak, which originated in Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette counties in August, has proven remarkably persistent. As of September 15, health officials have confirmed 155 cases and six probabl...