More than 40 measles cases have been reported at Ave Maria University in southwest Florida, marking the largest outbreak on an American college campus in recent history. 

The situation at the private Catholic college comes amid a broader national increase in measles cases, with 2,280 confirmed infections nationwide in 2025 and more than 900 cases reported so far in 2026.

“Since the start of the semester, 48 nurse-assessed students have progressed beyond the contagious period and now have natural immunity,” Ave Maria University posted in an online update on Feb. 10.

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Several universities have reported measles activity this year. Clemson University and Anderson University in South Carolina each reported single cases that led to the quarantine of a larger group of students. 

The University of Florida also reported exposure in two specific classes at its Gainesville campus.

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) recently updated its data to show 46 confirmed measles cases across Collier County from Jan. 1 through Feb. 7, with the university serving as the primary site of the cluster.

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The contagious period for measles includes the four days before and after a rash appears, according to the DOH.

“All nurse-assessed students on campus within the four-day contagious period following the onset of a rash are in quarantine,” the university stated in the latest update.

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Ave Maria University requires proof of vaccination but, in accordance with Florida law, allows students to opt out by signing a waiver for religious or personal reasons.

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The “vast majority” of the campus community is vaccinated, according to university health updates. The school remains open for normal operations, including in-person classes and Mass.

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People with a history of infection or who have received the full series of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunization are 98% protected and are unlikely to contract measles, according to the DOH.

Florida police arrested an agitator outside President Donald Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course this weekend.

Investigators said the man, identified as Paul Messer, was engaging with protesters across from the golf club on Sunday when he got into a verbal dispute with a woman and struck her multiple times in the upper chest and neck with a metal flagpole, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman stumbled backward and had visible redness on the right side of her neck. Messer was taken into custody and transported to the Palm Beach County Jail on a battery charge.

A Palm Beach Post photo later emerged appearing to show the suspect holding an anti-Trump flag and arguing with a woman wearing a pro-Trump hat.

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The altercation came just weeks after Trump played golf with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Trump International Golf Club. Rounding out their foursome were college football coaching legends Urban Meyer and Nick Saban.

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Trump signaled warmer relations with the Florida governor last summer, and Florida has in turn increasingly aligned itself with key Trump administration priorities.

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Among those priorities is the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative launched by Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services, which DeSantis has moved to embrace. As a result, DeSantis’ state kicked off its “Healthy Florida First” initiative in January, an effort across the state to test for contaminants in food products that DeSantis said is in lockstep with the administration’s priorities.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This report has been updated with more context on the altercation.

Authorities announced Monday that two illegal immigrants were arrested last week in connection with a “violent” home invasion in North Carolina that sent one victim to the hospital.  

The reported burglary occurred in a suburban neighborhood in the middle of the night on Wednesday, the Pitt County Sheriff said. 

“At 3:16 a.m. on February 11, 2026, Pitt County deputies responded to a reported assault at 200 Louis Street in the Cherry Oaks neighborhood of Greenville. Arriving deputies determined that the incident was a home invasion,” the agency said.

“Both arrested suspects were discovered to be in the United States illegally.”

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Police arrested the suspects two days later, identifying them as 20-year-old homeless man Jonathan David Garcia-Lario and 21-year-old Chapel Hill resident Zaid Mayen. Investigators said they recovered related evidence at an apartment in Chapel Hill, roughly two hours from the crime scene. 

The suspects are accused of committing multiple serious crimes, including rape or an equivalent forcible offense, kidnapping, burglary and using a deadly weapon with intent to kill.

They are each facing four felony charges for first-degree burglary, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree forcible sex offense, and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and inflicting serious injury.

Authorities did not confirm the nature or extent of the victim’s injuries but said the individual was taken to a local hospital by ambulance.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was notified, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expected to become involved. Authorities noted that an ICE detainer was placed on each individual, indicating that immigration agents may eventually take custody of them.

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The arrests were carried out with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, which helps track and apprehend fugitives. The Chapel Hill Police Department also took part in the operation. 

Officials suggested that the incident was a serious criminal offense that prompted detectives from the Major Crimes and Forensic Services Units to respond to the scene.

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Garcia-Lario was initially booked into the Franklin County Detention Center, where he was held without bond, and was later transferred to the Pitt County Detention Center on Monday, where he remains in custody without bond.

Mayen was initially booked into the Orange County Detention Center and held without bond.

Fox News Digital reached out to the DHS for more information.