800 Measles Cases Confirmed Nationwide in US

 

 

NEW YORK: As of Friday, the US had confirmed 800 measles cases nationwide, with outbreaks identified in two more states this week

Other states with active outbreaks include Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Mexico. There are more than double the number of measles cases seen in the US in 2024.

Measles is an airborne disease that spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It can be prevented by vaccines and has been considered eliminated from the US since 2000.

Texas has the highest number of cases, with an outbreak centered in West Texas that began about three months ago and has reached 597 cases. Two unvaccinated elementary school children have died of measles-related illnesses near the Texas outbreak, and an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico has died of measles-related illnesses.
Texas state health officials said they reported 36 new measles cases from Tuesday to Friday, bringing the total to 597 in 25 counties — most of them in West Texas. Four more Texans were hospitalized, bringing the total to 62 during the outbreak, and Parmer and Potter counties reported their first cases.

In North America, 925 people were infected in Ontario, Canada, from mid-October to April 16. That's on top of the cases in Mexico, which the World Health Organization said were linked to the Texas outbreak. The state's health department said there were 433 cases in the state of Chihuahua as of April 18, a major outbreak.