America's measles outbreak reaches terrifying milestone... and what 96% of the infected have in common
The US has crossed a disturbing threshold in its worsening measles crisis — with more than 1,000 cases now confirmed nationwide.An analysis of CDC and local health department data shows at least 1,004 Americans have been struck down by the ultra-contagious virus — marking only the second time cases have surged into four figures since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. Experts say it’s a chilling warning that the US could be on the verge of losing its measles-free status. Texas has emerged as ground zero, where two young, unvaccinated girls have died, marking the first measles fatalities in a decade.More than 96 percent of people who have tested positive for measles had not received at least one dose of the MMR shot, data showed.CDC officials have stressed that vaccination is the best way to avoid catching measles, reducing the risk of infection by 97 percent.Measles is the most infectious disease known to man, with every patient able to pass it on to nine out of ten other unvaccinated individuals that they expose to the virus.Symptoms typically begin with a high fever, cough and runny nose that may resemble a cold or flu-like illness before a major rash breaks out on the head before covering the whole body.
It is especially dangerous for young children, with the CDC saying one in 20 develop pneumonia while one in 1,000 develop encephalitis — swelling on the brain that can cause permanent damage.One to three in every 1,000 unvaccinated children who are infected die from the disease.Read More Terrifying look inside US town being overwhelmed by world's most infectious disease DailyMail.com analyzed measles cases reported by local health departments to reveal an overall cases figure for the US.The CDC does publish a tally on nationwide measles infections, but this is only updated every Friday and no longer provides a specific number of cases per state.Its figures also often miss the most recent cases reported by local health departments.Overall, Texas had the most measles infections at 718 — including 702 linked to the outbreak and 16 linked to other outbreaks.New Mexico's tally is the second highest, at 71 cases, followed by Kansas, at 49 cases. Measles is the most infectious disease known to man and particularly dangerous for young children, officials say (stock image)Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and California have each reported more than ten cases so far this year.At the other end of the scale were Alaska, Florida, Virginia, Vermont and Rhode Island which have each reported one measles case so far this year.The only other time measles cases exceeded 1,000 since 2000 was in 2019, when 1,274 cases were reported. That outbreak was concentrated in the Orthodox Jewish community in New York, where vaccination rates were lower.
The CDC says about 13 percent of confirmed cases have resulted in hospitalizations.The US achieved its measles elimination status in 2000 after having 12 months where no 'endemic' measles cases were recorded — or no cases where someone became infected with measles without leaving the US.That is now under threat, however, with officials saying that if there is continuous transmission of measles in the US for a year or more the country will no longer be considered to have eliminated the disease.Peter Marks, a former FDA director, warned NBC News previously: 'I think we're well on our way [to losing measles elimination status].' The above shows weekly measles cases by rash onset date according to the CDC And this shows the tally of measles cases by year. This year's tally is now the highest in five years The above shows measles vaccination rate by state. Areas that are blue have a vaccination rate at the level recommended to prevent an outbreak of the diseaseMeasles is spread via respiratory droplets expelled via coughs and sneezes that can hang in the air for up to two hours.Infected patients first suffer from a fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat before developing the characteristic red rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body, including the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.Patients are typically treated with painkillers, but may also receive antibiotics if they develop an associated infection or Vitamin A if they show signs of being malnourished.
