Measles outbreaks in the United States and elsewhere are heightening healthcare professionals’ concerns about the avoidable, once-common child infection.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, and it can cause catastrophic problems. The best defense, according to experts? Get vaccinated.
Here’s all you need to know about measles this year so far.
What number of measles cases has the United States experienced this year?
Measles cases have already nearly doubled nationwide compared to the previous year.
As of April 5, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had documented 113 cases. There have been seven outbreaks, and the majority of U.S. infections (73%) are linked to those flare-ups.
Still, the number is fewer than in previous years: 667 instances were reported in 2014, and 1,274 in 2019.
Why is this such a big deal?
The 2019 measles pandemic was the deadliest in nearly three decades, threatening the United States’ reputation as a measles-free country by halting the virus’s continued spread.
On Thursday, the CDC released a study on current measles incidence patterns, finding that cases in the first three months of this year were 17 times greater than the average number seen in the same period the preceding three years.
While health officials appear to be doing an adequate job of finding and responding to outbreaks, “the rapid increase in the number of reported measles cases during the first quarter of 2024 represents a renewed threat to elimination,” according to the report’s authors.
Where does measles come from?
Measles is still widespread in many parts of the world, and it enters the United States through unvaccinated visitors.
According to Thursday’s study, the majority of recent importations involved unvaccinated Americans who became infected in the Middle East and Africa and brought measles back to the United States.
Where did this year’s measles outbreaks in the United States occur?
Health officials have confirmed measles cases in 17 states this year, including New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
More than half of this year’s cases are from the Chicago outbreak, where 61 persons caught the virus as of Thursday, the majority of whom lived in a migrant shelter.
How does the measles spread?
Measles is extremely contagious. It spreads when infected persons breathe, cough, or sneeze, as well as on contaminated surfaces. It can also remain in the air for two hours.
According to the CDC, exposure to the virus can infect up to 9 out of 10 susceptible people.
Measles used to be frequent among children. How horrible was it?
According to the CDC, before a vaccine was available in 1963, there were approximately 3 million to 4 million cases each year, implying that nearly all American children experienced it at some point during their childhood. The majority recovered.
However, Susan Hassig, an infectious disease expert at Tulane University, believes that measles can be much more than an itchy rash.
“I think that people need to remember that this is a preventable disease,” Hassig told CNN. “It is a potentially dangerous disease for their children.”
In the decade before the vaccine became available, 48,000 individuals were hospitalized each year. According to the CDC, measles causes approximately 1,000 people to develop serious brain inflammation each year, with 400 to 500 dying.