MIAMI.- The outbreak of measles It continues to spread throughout the country, exceeding the records reported in 2022 and reaching almost double that of last year, the latest government data reveal.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes, and can cause serious health complications that can lead to death.
This condition, which was eliminated from the United States more than 20 years ago, was most common among children before the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine was introduced in 1971.
There will be 125 cases of measles in the US in 2024
According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), As of April 18 of this year, 125 cases have been reported in 18 states.
These are in locations in states such as Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and New York. State, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.
The health entity reported that so far this year there have been seven outbreaks of this pathology throughout the United States, unlike 2023 when four were reported.
The findings showed that 69% of infections are associated with these outbreaks, compared to 48% of cases in 2023.
The US health agency predicts that measles cases will reach 300 this yeara figure higher than those that have been experienced in the last three decades.
Affected cities
Cities with low vaccination rates such as New York, Philadelphia and Chicago are among the places of incidence of the virus. However, Illinois continues to be the state with the highest number of cases, after Chicago, which recently experienced a large measles outbreak with 8 cases in a migrant shelter
However, the city’s Department of Public Health reported Thursday that cases are declining after health officials administered 14,000 vaccines in just over a month.
Unvaccinated travelers
According to the report, these cases are typically brought from other countries by unvaccinated U.S. residents who become infected during international travel, with most of the recent imports coming from the Middle East and Africa.
CDC researchers said they expect measles cases this year to not exceed those of 2019, when health officials feared the U.S. could lose its measles elimination status.
In 2019, 1,274 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 31 states, the highest number of cases reported in the country since 1992.
Last week, health authorities said ongoing imports of the virus via unvaccinated international travelers now represent a renewed threat to the status of having eliminated local spread, eradication that was officially achieved in 2000.
They assured that to maintain the elimination status and prevent measles and its complications, it is essential “the rapid detection of cases, the prompt implementation of control measures and the maintenance of high national coverage of vaccination against measles, including the improvement of coverage in insufficiently vaccinated populations”.
Research also shows that a very high vaccination rate is required to prevent further spread of this disease; according to officials, 95% of the population should be inoculated against the virus.
@Lydr05
Source: With information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
