U.S. measles cases rise to 41 as CDC tallies infections in 16 states

at least 41 measles Reported in 16 U.S. states so far this year, according to a new weekly numbers It was announced Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This is up from 35 cases reported to the CDC in 15 states as of February 22nd. Michigan is the latest state to be included in the CDC tally.

This figure marks one of the sharpest increases in the recent history of the virus during this period. This comes as experts fear the country could face a similar situation again. Significant price rise in 2019which officials said at the time could threaten the U.S. situation That means the virus has been eliminated.

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told a CDC committee on February 29 that “this is not a good slope of the curve when you think about where measles is going.” Advisor.

Daskalakis said measles is preventable. safe and effective Warning to vaccinated communities Vaccination rate is low was in the greatest danger.

Federal officials have become increasingly concerned about the rising number of measles cases in recent weeks. Scope of vaccination It decreased in many regions of the country.

A CDC spokesperson confirmed on February 28 that the agency is working to assist investigators. floridaThe highest number of infections have been reported this year. CDC offers: Genotypic sequencing In the past, it's information from laboratories that has helped track connections between cases.

“We are a global community. As measles continues to rise in other parts of the world, imports like this continue to occur. And when measles lands in places where infection rates are low, we have to “We are at risk of a continuation of the epidemic,” he said.

Which states reported measles cases in 2024?

Local and state health officials have detailed at least 39 confirmed or suspected measles cases in 16 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey and New York City. was publicly discussed. , Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.

Pennsylvania was one of the first states to report cases this year. three Infection Reported from an outbreak that began in Philadelphia in 2023. On February 27, Philadelphia authorities announced The epidemic is officially over.

New Jersey then Confirmed A case of measles in a resident county But officials said they could not find a direct link to the outbreak or another route of transmission.

Clay County, Missouri, reports measles case in resident It's January. 12 The department said the person traveled through Kansas City International Airport.

Virginia and maryland Each reported a resident who had recently traveled to Dulles International Airport, one of the three major airports serving the Washington, D.C., area, contracted measles after the trip.

Georgia too report A spokesperson for the state health department said the patient had returned from a trip to the Middle East. A second case of infection was subsequently confirmed in a family member who had not been vaccinated.

New York City also report So far this year, there have been two cases of measles among residents. City officials believe both cases occurred after traveling abroad and are not directly related.

in california tabulated There have been two cases of measles this year. There was one person in there. los angeles county, after the flight from Istanbul.Another case was reported the next day. san diegoeven after traveling abroad.

in ohio Confirmed At least 4 so far. The first announcement was made by Montgomery County officials in the Dayton area. February 3rd, from a child who recently traveled. Two more cases have since been confirmed in nearby Miami County. A fourth case was later confirmed in Richland County, near Cincinnati, but no link to the other cases has been found.Officials say a fifth potential case is under investigation Said Feb. 20 in Clermont County.

Minnesota announced a case linked to international travel. February 7th Located in Dakota County near Minneapolis. Two more cases have since been confirmed in the state, a brother and a cousin of the first case.

Maricopa County, Arizona, has confirmed an outbreak of measles cases. February 10 After traveling abroad. Two more cases have since been reported in the same county across Phoenix, which authorities say are related to the first case.

Florida has reported the most cases of any state so far this year after at least seven elementary school students became infected at school. primary school Located in Broward County.two more cases It was also reported in the same county near Miami.situation record All nine cases in the county were acquired in Florida.another travel related On February 23, it was also announced that a resident of Polk County, between Orlando and Tampa, was infected.

Louisiana said: February 21st Two residents in the greater New Orleans area were diagnosed with measles after returning from out-of-state travel.

Spokane County, Washington, also announced an incident. February 21st. The county said their cases first contracted the virus abroad.

Indiana reported cases the next day February 24th Located in Lake County near Chicago. The ministry has declined to release additional information, citing privacy concerns.

Michigan Department of Health announced A case that occurred in Oakland County, north of Detroit, on Feb. 23 was said to be “associated with international travel.”

What will cause the number of measles cases to increase in 2024?

Measles cases World wide The number of infections is rising in countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, Europe and Asia, with an increase in what the World Health Organization considers major or devastating outbreaks. The CDC said this exposed unvaccinated travelers to the virus and increased the rate of them bringing the virus back to the United States.

“I'm a little worried that we're now in a situation that is the same or similar to what we saw epidemiologically heading into 2019, when suddenly the number of cases exploded. “It's worrying people,” Natasha Crowcroft said. WHO's Senior Technical Advisor for Measles and Rubella said this at a meeting on 22 February. meeting Number of federal vaccine advisors.

Mr Crocroft warned that efforts to restore measles vaccination coverage were slower than for other vaccinations, leaving more than half of countries at “high risk” of measles. trend this year.

“Insurance coverage in low-income countries has fallen by 7%, a further decline in low-income countries that are already well behind,” Mr Crowcroft said.

New measles outbreaks are occurring in European countries, which appear to rank well in overall measles vaccination coverage, but among younger children, officials say. It is said that there are communities in which dangerously large immunity disparities exist.It is different than in 2018 And in 2019, many unvaccinated older children and adults in these countries were also infected.

“What we are actually experiencing now is the result of an accumulation of susceptible children who have not been reached by immunization programs affected by the coronavirus pandemic,” said José, from WHO's European Division.・Mr. Hagan stated.

U.S. health officials also need to raise awareness of the need for measles vaccinations before traveling abroad, officials said.

“People traveling to places like Africa and Southeast Asia might visit a travel clinic to make sure their vaccinations are up to date, but travelers going from the U.S. to European regions don't necessarily think so. That's not the case,” said Kristin Hahn, medical director for the Idaho Department of Public Health.

In 2023, Idaho faced its largest measles outbreak outbreak It's been decades since an unvaccinated resident became infected while traveling in Europe. Philadelphia officials say the outbreak could have been avoided if people had been vaccinated before traveling.

“While the first patient was too young to receive routine vaccinations, he would have been old enough to be vaccinated earlier for travel, and if he had done so,” said Shara Epstein of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. “We may have been able to prevent the outbreak as a whole.”