Measles spread to at least three other states after travel to Florida

Measles cases in at least three states this year are linked to visits to Florida, federal and state investigators have concluded, shedding light on some of the early infections that fueled the outbreak. . highly contagious virus.

The Florida Department of Health said it is possible that family members of cases in Indiana and Louisiana earlier this year may have intersected within the state, according to messages sent between local investigators and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through late February. It is said that he thinks that there is a sex.

Formerly Louisiana Said The first two measles cases this year in the New Orleans area were linked to travel to other states, but he did not say which states.

This year, a patient from Ohio contracted measles after traveling to Florida. This infection was not directly related to the other two cases.

“As I mentioned earlier, we went through the incident in Ohio. [redacted] “We're very curious to see if there's a link, as similar cases have occurred in the region as well as in Florida,” Megan Gumke, an epidemiologist with the Florida Department of Health, said in a Feb. 21 email.

of e-mail It was obtained by CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

It is unclear whether these measles cases are the same as the Orlando Sentinel measles cases report One adult and three infants were treated at a local emergency room last month.

A spokesperson for the Orlando Health System declined to comment, deferring to the Florida Department of Health. Grant Kemp, deputy spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health, said it is misleading to highlight Florida as the epicenter of measles cases, as infections have been reported in other states.

“If an infectious disease is confirmed in an out-of-state resident, that information will be forwarded to the state of residence and will not be classified as a Florida case,” Kemp said in an email.

The case treated in Orlando was also “completely unrelated” to infection. Measles outbreak at elementary school in Broward County, Florida Kemp said earlier this year.

The first case in the Broward County case was a 9-year-old who was unvaccinated due to a religious exemption and was soon infected with measles from an unvaccinated student at the same school, according to the email. The number of suspected infected people has increased.

The child had not traveled abroad recently.In the end, there were 9 items. report In Broward County, Florida, the outbreak occurred before state officials declared the outbreak over.

This comes as health officials increasingly urge unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated before traveling abroad to protect themselves from measles.recently america Marked an unwanted milestone Measles cases have surged this year, with more cases in the first three months of 2024 than in all of 2023.

Cases have also been reported in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, according to the CDC. It is said that there is.

Of the measles infections reported so far this year, the CDC says: Said On March 18, it was found that 93% were related to international travel.

The agency also announced on March 13th that Updated guidance for international travelers Requires unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated at least six weeks before international travel for travelers six months of age or older.

No specific vaccination guidance has been issued for travelers to endemic states within the United States.

For many years, the CDC Recommended for everyone Children can be vaccinated against measles starting at 12 months of age. The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, has been widely used for decades and is safe and effective against this once common disease.

Officials say the recent increase in cases highlights the need to restore routine vaccinations that were missed during the pandemic. But they also believe that so far, we are “far from” an ongoing outbreak that officials feared could threaten the U.S.'s status as virus-free. .

Vaccination rates in the United States are likely sufficient to prevent a repeat of previous deadly waves of infection. hundreds of lives and Thousands of children are hospitalized each year Before the vaccine. The measles virus was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000. This means there is no longer a sustained outbreak in the country.

But authorities have also warned that infections are spreading overseas. Immunity disparities within the United States Some communities remain vulnerable to the spread of measles.

“Most communities in the United States currently have high levels of immunity to measles, so the risk of large-scale outbreaks is low. However, some areas with low prevalence remain at high risk for outbreaks.” said the CDC.