The number of US measles cases is on the verge of surpassing last year’s record high, with 2,260 confirmed cases in 44 states and the District of Columbia, according to the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This surge in cases is particularly concerning, given that it’s only July and the worst year for measles in America in over three decades was just last year, with 2,289 cases and three deaths.
The majority of cases are in young, unvaccinated children and teenagers, and doctors have blamed vaccine hesitancy on recent spikes. The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is 97 percent effective in preventing illness, but without it, measles infections can lead to life-threatening brain swelling, pneumonia, fever, ear infections, and a rash. Fortunately, no patient has died from measles this year.
More than 30 outbreaks have been reported this year, with the largest number of cases in South Carolina, Utah, and Texas. In South Carolina, the measles outbreak was declared over in April following 997 cases, including some from last year. Most cases were reported in the state’s northern Spartanburg County and an evangelical community.
An outbreak in Utah has led to 707 cases, state data shows, although infections have been slowing, with only six cases diagnosed in the last three weeks. Utah state epidemiologist Leisha Nolen recently warned that the virus is still transmitting and could flare up again if it hits the wrong community. Texas, the epicenter of measles’ major return, has seen 182 cases this year, with cases spreading in federal detention facilities.
The ramp-up in cases means that the US could lose its longstanding measles elimination status, which has been held since 2000. This status means that there has not been continuous spread of the infectious disease for more than a year, and it was earned as more and more Americans were vaccinated. A meeting to decide if the status has been lost is expected to take place in November.
