(VOR News) – The number of measles infections in the United States has already surpassed that of the previous year in less than three months of 2025, as the outbreak in West Texas persists.
NBC News’ analysis of state health agency data indicates that 320 cases had been documented in 16 states as of Friday.
This is in stark contrast to the 285 cases that were confirmed by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention last year, the highest number since 2019. Texas has experienced the highest number of incidents (259) this year, with an additional 35 incidents reported in neighbouring New Mexico.
All cases, with the exception of four in the two states, were reported by individuals who were either unvaccinated or had an ambiguous vaccination status.
A school-aged, unvaccinated Texas child died from measles last month.
Additionally, an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico tested positive, although the cause of death remains undetermined. Before those fatalities, the United States had not experienced any measles-related deaths in a decade, and no minors had succumbed to the disease since 2003.
Despite occasional outbreaks, measles has been declared eradicated in the United States since 2000, indicating that it is not a disease that is continuously spreading. Nevertheless, the nation was on the brink of losing that distinction in 2019, as 1,274 cases were reported, the majority of which were associated with outbreaks within Orthodox Jewish communities in New York.
In Texas and other regions, public health officials are expressing apprehension regarding the potential resurgence of risks to eradication efforts as the number of cases increases.
The virus’s dissemination in the United States has been facilitated by a global increase in the number of measles cases. On Thursday, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations disclosed that in the previous year, more than 127,000 cases of measles were documented in countries throughout Central Asia and Europe.
This is the most significant figure since 1997 and is twice the quantity that was reported in 2023. Globally, the number of measles cases increased by 20% between 2022 and 2023, as indicated by the most recent data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) attributed the rise in Europe and Central Asia to a “reversion in immunisation coverage” during the epidemic. They also noted that vaccination rates have not yet rebounded in many countries.
Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe, stated on Thursday that “measles has returned, functioning as a wake-up call; every nation must intensify efforts to reach under-vaccinated populations.” ”
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, and an infected individual can transmit it to up to 90% of unvaccinated individuals in close proximity. Measles can remain in the air for a maximum of two hours.
Measles, rubella, and mumps vaccines have a 97% efficacy.
The virus’s local proliferation has been exacerbated by low vaccination rates, despite the fact that the majority of measles illnesses in the United States are imported from other countries.
According to health guidelines, a community’s vaccination rate should be at least 95% in order to prevent epidemics. However, by the 2023-24 academic year, less than 93% of U.S. kindergartners had received the recommended two doses for vaccination.
The outbreak in Texas commenced in Gaines County, where the kindergarten measles immunisation rate is 82%. In Seminole, the epicentre of the outbreak, vaccine hesitancy is particularly prevalent among the Mennonite community. The preponderance of New Mexico’s cases are located in Lea County, which is in close proximity to Gaines County.
Unvaccinated residents in Texas and New Mexico have been encouraged to obtain their vaccinations by health officials. The CDC suggests that the initial dose be administered at approximately one year of age. However, neonates as young as six months who reside in outbreak areas may receive the initial dose earlier.
Children under the age of five are at a significant risk of contracting measles. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that respiratory and neurological complications result in the death of 1 to 3 children per 1,000 who contract measles.
SOURCE: NBC
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