US measles cases rise, spread to five more states

"Measles is surging across the US with five new states reporting cases this week, including California, Minnesota and Washington. Idaho and Kentucky are the other two states with new cases, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This follows reports of measles earlier this month in nine states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia."

"South Carolina, which is the largest outbreak, reported 700 total cases on Friday, up from 54 since Jan. 20, a tally that tracks the number of cases reported since the epidemic began in October. The CDC switched from reporting data on Wednesdays to Fridays this week, which added two days' worth of data. Of the 416 cases reported in the US so far this year, 94% were related to existing outbreaks. Three cases came from international visitors."

"The US is hurdling toward a key deadline regarding its measles elimination status. In April, the Pan American Health Organization's committee on this topic will meet to determine whether the virus has been circulating in the same chain of transmission for 12 months, which is a key metric for designating the disease's status. The CDC is working with all 50 states to pull its genomic sequencing data together ahead of the meeting."

Measles cases are rising across the United States, with five new states reporting cases and earlier reports across nine other states. South Carolina is the largest outbreak, with 700 cases reported since the epidemic began in October. Of 416 cases reported so far this year, 94% were linked to existing outbreaks and three were from international visitors. The CDC shifted reporting days, adding two days of data. Last year recorded 2,255 confirmed cases, a 34-year high and more than a 600% increase over the prior year. The Pan American Health Organization will evaluate 12 months of transmission in April, and the CDC is consolidating genomic sequencing from all states. Measles is preventable by vaccine but has no cure once contracted.

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