Bengaluru: The United States has reported over 1,000 measles cases for the first time in five years, according to federal data released Friday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 1,001 cases across 31 jurisdictions as of Thursday. Notably, this count does not yet include the latest figures from Texas—the outbreak’s epicenter—where the number of cases has risen by seven, totaling 709. Experts caution that the U.S. is at a critical juncture for the re-emergence of endemic measles, two and a half decades after the disease was declared eradicated in the country. In 2019, previous case numbers exceeded 1,000, peaking at 1,274.
Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins Medicine, expressed concern, stating, “I think we are still at risk of seeing these numbers at least stay steady, if not continue to increase over time.” The Texas outbreak has led to the tragic deaths of two children and has resulted in hundreds more infections, initially spreading within a Mennonite community before reaching neighboring states like New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The CDC reported that 13% of those infected this year required hospitalization, with three confirmed fatalities. This year has already seen 14 outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases.
U.S. pediatricians and infectious disease specialists note that the rising measles cases are exacerbated by insufficient advocacy for vaccination from government health officials, alongside misleading statements regarding unproven treatments that are causing confusion among parents. The CDC emphasizes that two doses of the measles vaccine are 97% effective.
Original Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/us-measles-cases-surpass-1000-for-first-time-in-5-years/121046236
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Publish Date: 2025-05-10 07:20:00
