Measles continues its surge across USA
Recorded cases rose by almost 100 in just a week, nearing record levels
The number of measles cases recorded across the USA rose by almost 100 last week as the annual total continued its march toward record levels, federal health officials reported Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 465 cases have been confirmed in 19 states this year, the second-highest total since measles was declared eliminated in the USA almost two decades ago.
The numbers are up sharply from just a week ago, when the total number of cases stood at 387 in 15 states. There were 372 cases last year; the highest toMost tal since 2000 was 667 in 2014.
The surge has been fueled in part by the anti-vaccination movement – most people who contract measles have not been vaccinated, the CDC said. If one person has the disease, up to 90% of the people close to that person will become infected if they are not immune, the CDC warned.
Ogbonnaya Omenka, an assistant professor at Butler University who has a doctorate in public health, said the increase is alarming but won’t necessarily continue. “The numbers serve as a kick in the butt that says, hey, we probably should start paying attention to vaccination again,” he told USA TODAY. “One of the most challenging aspects of public health is balancing between individual liberty, for people who don’t want the vaccine for whatever reason, and what is best for everyone.”
of the cases this year involve 17 outbreaks – defined as three or more localized cases – including some now happening in New York, New Jersey, Washington, California and Michigan, the CDC said. The outbreaks are linked to travelers who brought measles back from countries including Israel, Ukraine and the Philippines, the CDC said.
Three outbreaks in New York state, New York City and New Jersey contributed to most of the cases. They occurred primarily among unvaccinated people in Orthodox Jewish communities, the CDC said. New York legislators have proposed a bill that would end religious and all other nonmedical exemptions to vaccinations for school-age children.
“The religious communities that I’ve spoken to in no way prevent people from getting vaccinated,” New York state Sen. David Carlucci said. “This (bill) would take any of that misconception out of the puzzle.”
Only California, Mississippi West Virginia have such laws.
Common measles symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough and a rash that can spread across the body. A very small number of those infected develop pneumonia, swelling of the brain or other serious symptoms. Measles also can cause pregnant women to deliver prematurely.
The World Health Organization described the disease as a prominent cause of death among children, despite the availability of a vaccine. More than 110,000 people, most of them children, died of measles worldwide in 2017.
The last measles death on record in the USA was in 2015. and