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Associated Press
09-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
U.S. measles cases surpass 2019 count, while Missouri is latest state with an outbreak
The U.S. is having its worst year for measles spread since 1991, with a total of 1,288 cases nationally and another six months to go. But in Gaines County, Texas, which was once the nation's epicenter for measles activity, health officials said they are no longer seeing ongoing measles transmission. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention count, updated Wednesday, is 14 more cases than in all of 2019, when the U.S. almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. There've been three deaths in the U.S. this year, and all were unvaccinated: two elementary school-aged children in West Texas and an adult in New Mexico. A vast majority of this year's cases are from Texas, where a major outbreak raged through the late winter and spring, but where no new outbreak cases were reported this week. Other states with active outbreaks — which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Utah. Missouri confirmed its first outbreak July 3. North American has three other large outbreaks. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 2,223 cases from mid-October through July 2. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions. Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened 1,246 as of Wednesday. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 2,966 measles cases and eight deaths as of Wednesday, according to data from the state health ministry. Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000. How many measles cases are there in Texas? Texas stayed steady Tuesday with 753 outbreak-related measles cases across 36 counties, most of them in West Texas, state data shows. Throughout the outbreak, 99 people have been hospitalized. State health officials estimated less than 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — were actively infectious as of Tuesday. More than half of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 414 cases since late January — just under 2% of its residents. Statewide, only Lamar County has ongoing measles transmission, officials said Tuesday. The state also said Tuesday there are 39 cases across 19 counties that don't have a clear link to the outbreak now, but may end up added to it after further investigation. The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of 'what the child's doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.' A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6. How many measles cases are there in New Mexico? New Mexico had 95 measles cases on Tuesday. While most of the state's cases are in Lea County, 14 cases are tied to an outbreak in a jail in Luna County. An unvaccinated adult died of measles-related illness March 6. The person did not seek medical care. Seven people have been hospitalized since the state's outbreak started. San Juan, Eddy, Chaves, Curry, Doña Ana and Sandoval counties also had measles cases this year. How many cases are there in Oklahoma? Oklahoma held steady Tuesday for a total of 17 confirmed and three probable cases. The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases. How many cases are there in Arizona? Arizona has four cases in Navajo County. They are linked to a single source, the county health department said June 9. All four were unvaccinated and had a history of recent international travel. How many cases are there in Colorado? Colorado has seen a total of 16 measles cases in 2025, which includes one outbreak of 10 related cases. The outbreak is linked to a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at Denver International Airport in mid-May. Four of the people were on the flight with the first person diagnosed — an out-of-state traveler not included in the state count — while five got measles from exposure in the airport and one elsewhere. Health officials are also tracking an unrelated case in a fully vaccinated Boulder County resident who had traveled to Europe. Other counties that have seen measles this year include Archuleta and Pueblo. How many cases are there in Georgia? Georgia has an outbreak of three cases in metro Atlanta, with the most recent infection confirmed June 18. The state has confirmed six total cases in 2025. The remaining three are part of an unrelated outbreak from January. How many cases are there in Illinois? Illinois health officials confirmed a four-case outbreak on May 5 in the far southern part of the state. It grew to eight cases as of June 6, but no new cases were reported in the following weeks, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The state's other two cases so far this year were in Cook County, and are unrelated to the southern Illinois outbreak. How many cases are there in Iowa? Iowa has had six total measles cases in 2025. Four are part of an outbreak in eastern Johnson County, among members of the same household. County health officials said the people are isolating at home, so they don't expect additional spread. How many cases are there in Kansas? Kansas added five more cases this week for a total of 87 across 11 counties in the southwestern part of the state, with three hospitalizations. All but three of the cases are connected, and most are in Gray County. How many measles cases are there in Kentucky? Central Kentucky has an outbreak of eight cases, the state said Monday. The cases are in Fayette County, which includes Lexington, and neighboring Woodford County. The state has confirmed 11 total cases this year. How many cases are there in Michigan? In northern Michigan, Grand Traverse County has an outbreak of four cases as of Wednesday. The state declared an earlier outbreak of four cases in Montcalm County, near Grand Rapids in western Michigan, over June 2. The state has had 18 cases total in 2025; eight are linked to outbreaks. How many cases are there in Missouri? Missouri has seven cases as of Wednesday. Five cases are in southwestern Cedar County, and four of those are members of the same family. The fifth case is still under investigation, according to county health director Victoria Barker. How many cases are there in Montana? Montana had 25 measles cases as of Wednesday. Seventeen were in Gallatin County, which is where the first cases showed up — Montana's first in 35 years. Flathead and Yellowstone counties had two cases each, and Hill County had four cases. There are outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. How many cases are there in North Dakota? North Dakota, which hadn't seen measles since 2011, was up to 34 cases as of June 6, but has held steady since. Two of the people have been hospitalized. All of the people with confirmed cases were not vaccinated. There were 16 cases in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border. On the eastern side of the state, there were 10 cases in Grand Forks County and seven cases in Cass County. Burke County, in northwest North Dakota on the border of Saskatchewan, Canada, had one case. How many cases are there in Utah? Utah had nine total measles cases as of Tuesday. At least three of the cases are linked, according to the state health department. State epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen said there are at least three different measles clusters in the state. Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.? Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming. Health officials declared earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania over after six weeks of no new cases. Tennessee's outbreak also appears to be over. Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year. Most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine? The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don't need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from 'killed' virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don't need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have 'presumptive immunity.' Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to 'herd immunity.' But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots. What are the symptoms of measles? Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash. The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death. How can you treat measles? There's no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
America's measles outbreak hits terrifying milestone as doctors reveal what 95% of victims have in common
As the current measles outbreak threatens to undo America's eradication of the infection 25 years ago, data has revealed that nearly all cases have occurred and spread among unvaccinated people. The US has so far recorded more than 1,270 cases of measles, more than 60 percent of which are in children and teens. About 95 percent of cases have been in unvaccinated people or those who have not completed the recommended two-dose regimen. Three deaths have occurred due to measles this year, all of them being in unvaccinated people, including two children. Since widespread measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccinations began in 1971, US measles cases had nearly vanished by 2000. But infections have now surged to their highest level since 1992 – when over 2,100 cases were recorded – as vaccination rates slip. New clusters of measles infections have become increasingly common every year as vaccination coverage slips to 91 percent, below the 95 percent threshold needed to achieve population-wide protection. Outbreaks are particularly common in more insular communities, such as Mennonites in West Texas, the epicenter of the current crisis. In Gaines County, where the outbreak had its genesis, kindergarten vaccination rates are as low as 20 percent, while rates in some neighboring Lubbuck school districts are as low as 77 percent. Recent modeling by Stanford University researchers cautioned that, at current vaccination levels and continuous, uncontrolled spread, the US will lose its measles elimination status within the year. Measles is among the most infectious diseases on earth. Just one infected person can transmit the virus to an average of 12 to 18 susceptible people, including anyone who has not had two doses of the MMR vaccine, or has not previously contracted measles. Babies cannot receive the first dose until a year to 15 months and generally get the second when they reach four to six years old, typically right before entering school. Their protection against measles depends entirely on vaccinated older children creating herd immunity. The MMR vaccine is mandatory for school attendance in all 50 states. But a growing number of parents are using their states' exemptions for moral or religious reasons to opt out of mandated vaccines, sending their children to school unprotected and more likely to spread the virus to a child who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons or because of age. In 2014, the exemption rate was about 1.7 percent, before a 2015 measles outbreak at Disneyland drew national attention to falling vaccination rates. By 2016, exemptions rose to two percent, even as states like California eliminated personal belief exemptions. The upward trend continued, hitting 2.5 percent in 2019—the year the US saw its highest measles case count since 1992, driven by under-vaccinated communities. The pandemic disrupted vaccination efforts further, pushing exemptions to 2.8 percent in 2021. By 2023, rates reached 3.5 percent, with MMR coverage in kindergarteners falling below the 95 percent threshold for herd immunity. infections have now surged to their highest level since 1992 – when over 2,100 cases were recorded – as vaccination rates slip Dr William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, previously told that yearly vaccination declines are 'sobering.' 'Vaccine hesitancy and skepticism is alive and well and vaccines,' he said. 'We have considered vaccine hesitancy as a public health and a clinical medicine problem. Of course it is, however, at root, I have come to believe it is an educational problem.' Vaccine distrust is on the rise in the US, as those who cast doubt on vaccines' safety and efficacy take on more prominent public healthcare roles. Many on the anti-vax side cite the junk science put forth in a retracted paper linking the shots to autism written by a now-disgraced Andrew Wakefield. The Department of Health and Human Services is currently under the leadership of Robert F Kennedy, Jr, a long-time vaccine skeptic. Since the current outbreak began in West Texas, he has offered mixed messages. He has said that vaccination is the best way to prevent measles while also casting doubt on whether the children who died really died of measles Before ever reaching the public, vaccines must clear rigorous clinical trials involving tens of thousands of participants, with ongoing safety monitoring long after approval. Public health leaders universally agree: immunization remains medicine's most powerful shield against preventable disease, backed by decades of evidence on safety and efficacy.
Reuters
30-05-2025
- General
- Reuters
Measles cases in Texas rise by nine to 738, state health department says
May 30 (Reuters) - The Texas health department on Friday reported 738 cases of measles in the state, up by nine additional cases since its last update on Tuesday. The U.S. is battling one of the worst outbreaks of measles it has seen, with over 1,000 cases reported for the first time in five years and three confirmed deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,088 confirmed cases in 33 jurisdictions as of May 29. Experts have urged public health officials to provide urgent endorsement for highly effective vaccines for measles. The spread of the contagious airborne infection, however, has shown signs of slowing down over the past two weeks. The number of infections in Gaines County, the epicenter of the outbreak in Texas, recorded one more case since the last update, bringing the total to 409 cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. Cases reported by New Mexico's health department remained unchanged at 79 cases.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Startling charts reveal how world's most infectious disease is poised to engulf America
America is poised for a measles explosion if vaccine rates continue to fall at their current pace, scientists warn. Striking graphs show there could be more than 11.1 million infections over the next 25 years - 444,000 per year - and roughly 30,000 deaths if vaccination coverage dropped 10 percent. Research from Stanford University estimates that just a five percent decline in coverage with the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) would lead to an estimated 5.7 million measles cases and at least 2,500 deaths over the next 25 years. That's the equivalent of 228,000 cases and 320 deaths each year. And in a devastating scenario, a 50 percent decline in vaccinations could flood the country with the life-threatening disease, potentially leading to 51 million cases, including 10.3 million hospitalizations and between 151,200 and 164,700 deaths. For context, the US has confirmed 5,567 measles cases over the past 25 years, averaging 223 per year. In 2019 alone, there were nearly 1,300 cases; in 2020, just 13. If rates stay where they are, the US could lose its measles elimination status within two decades. The MMR vaccine, 97 percent effective at preventing measles, dramatically lowers the risk of severe illness. Yet 96 percent of annual cases occur in unvaccinated people, with one in five hospitalized and three in 1,000 dying. The US is facing its largest measles outbreak in 30 years, centered in Gaines and Lubbock counties, West Texas, where just 74 percent and 92 percent of children are vaccinated, respectively. Texas has confirmed 728 measles cases so far, with over 400 in Gaines County alone. Two children in Texas and one in New Mexico have died. New Mexico has reported 71 cases. Statewide, Texas' MMR vaccination rate sits at 94 percent, just below the 95 percent needed for herd immunity — but in parts of West Texas, rates are far lower. In Gaines County's Loop Independent School District, only 46 percent of kindergarteners are vaccinated. Gaines County also leads the state in vaccine opt-outs, with nearly 14 percent of schoolchildren skipping at least one required shot last year. The outbreak centering on Gaines County has since spread to dozens of other states, offering researchers a grim preview of what could happen nationwide if vaccination rates drop to West Texas levels. The Stanford team, whose data was published in JAMA Network, used a computer model for their projections — incorporating randomness to reflect real-world uncertainty. They drew on US Census, CDC surveillance, and National Immunization Survey data from 2004 to 2023. The model compared outcomes under current vaccination rates - 87 to 95 percent - and scenarios with rates increased or decreased by five, 10, 25, and 100 percent. Even small declines in coverage could spark major outbreaks. Measles was declared eliminated in the US four decades after a vaccine became available — a feat estimated to have saved 94 million lives — but experts fear that progress is slipping. Dr William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told 'We are now in danger of losing the elimination designation, and we were well ahead of the world before.' More than 1,020 measles cases have been confirmed in 31 states this year, with 92 percent linked to 14 outbreaks. Dr Schaffner added: 'Given that the current outbreak continues and its now spawned 'daughter' outbreaks among other Mennonite communities and there are yet other small outbreaks, we could potentially lose that elimination status. 'Here we are stepping back to yesteryear.' The gradually rising case count coincides with a rise in vaccine exemptions for religious reasons in schools. In 2014, the exemption rate was about 1.7 percent, before a 2015 measles outbreak at Disneyland drew national attention to falling vaccination rates. By 2016, exemptions rose to two percent, despite moves by states like California to eliminate personal belief exemptions. The trend continued, reaching 2.5 percent in 2019 — the year the U.S. saw its highest measles case count since 1992, largely in under-vaccinated communities. The pandemic further disrupted vaccination efforts, pushing exemptions to 2.8 percent in 2021. By 2023, rates climbed to 3.5 percent, with MMR coverage in kindergarteners dipping below the 95 percent threshold needed for herd immunity. Vaccine skeptics meanwhile have risen to positions of power, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promoted discredited claims linking the MMR vaccine to autism and founded the leading anti-vaccine group, Children's Health Defense. CDC and JAMA data suggest exemptions could soon top 4 percent, particularly in rural areas with limited healthcare access and public health distrust, as well as affluent, well-educated urban enclaves drawn to 'alternative' medicine. 'Parents who withhold their children from vaccination are not randomly scattered throughout the population, they generally cluster, which means you have a close affiliation in schools, which makes people susceptible. And should the virus be introduced in their group, it will rapidly spread,' Dr Schaffner said. Most people with measles develop a high fever, cough, and a blotchy red rash. But serious complications aren't rare. About 1 in 1,000 children develop encephalitis — dangerous brain swelling that can cause permanent damage. A rare, delayed complication called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) strikes about 2 in every 100,000 measles cases. Years after infection, it causes memory problems, personality changes, seizures, and worsening brain function, progressing to a vegetative state and death.
ABC News
09-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
US reports more than 1,000 measles cases amid active outbreaks across 11 states
The United States has reported more than 1,000 measles cases across 11 states, with Texas accounting for the vast majority of these cases, according to the national public health agency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 14 outbreaks had been recorded this year, with 93 per cent of confirmed cases being outbreak-associated. As of May 9, Texas's state health department has confirmed 709 cases, 92 per cent of which have been hospitalised over the course of the outbreak, which began three months ago. "There have been two fatalities in school-aged children who lived in the outbreak area [West Texas]," the health department said in a statement. The state department said it was working with local health departments to investigate the outbreak. Other states with active outbreaks — which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Fifty-seven per cent of Texas's cases were in Gaines County, which has a population of 22,892, where the virus had been spreading in a close-knit, under-vaccinated community, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The county has had 403 cases since late January — just over 1.7 per cent of the county's residents, it said. So far, three deaths — including an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico who died of a measles-related illness — have been confirmed in 2025. North America has two other ongoing outbreaks, all of which are caused by the same measles strain, according to the AP. One outbreak in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 1,440 cases from mid-October through May 6, representing a 197-case increase in a week. The Mexican state of Chihuahua reported 1,041 measles cases and one death as of Friday, local time, according to data from the state health ministry. The World Health Organization (WHO) said a total of more than 2,300 measles cases were detected in six countries in North America and South America since January 2025, an 11-fold increase compared to the same period in the previous year. Those six countries include Canada, the USA, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Belize. "The majority of cases have occurred among people between 1 and 29 years [old], who are either unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status," the WHO said. "Additionally, most cases are imported or linked to importation." In April, medical professionals urged travellers to stay vigilant as Australia deals with a local surge of measles, sparked by a global rise in cases amid declining childhood vaccination rates. Doctors told the ABC that the number one defence against the spread of measles was immunisation. According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, Australia has reported 71 measles cases across six states and territories, excluding Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, as of May 9. ABC/AP
