This article appeared in the Detroit Free Press. Read more here.
As cold and flu season drags on, multiple states across the U.S. are now also reporting cases of measles, a highly contagious virus that primarily affects children.
The preventable illness was once common but was eradicated in the U.S. thanks to the widespread use of vaccines, with most current cases originating outside of the country and occurring in unvaccinated people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an emergency warning on Jan. 25, telling the public to remain vigilant after 23 cases were confirmed in several different states between December 1, 2023, and January 23, 2024. The case count remains low, but reports of new infections have continued to pop up in states across the U.S., with some tied directly to international travelers.
See the map below for more information on where measles cases have been confirmed.
Measles cases by state
CDC data on current measles cases is updated monthly. In a Jan. 25 update, jurisdictions in Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania had reported a total of 9 confirmed cases.
However, several state health departments have also shared information about cases, though some states have only reported one confirmed case at this time.
Here’s what those states are reporting:
- California – one confirmed case in Los Angeles County
- Georgia – one case in the Atlanta Metro area
- Missouri – one case in Clay County
- New Jersey – One confirmed case in Camden County
- Pennsylvania – Nine confirmed cases, eight in Philadelphia and one outside
- Washington – Three cases in Clark and Wahkiakum Counties
- Ohio – One case in Montgomery County
- Maryland – One case in Montgomery County
Measles cases reported by year
The last major outbreak of measles in the U.S. happened back in 2019, when a total of 1,249 measles cases and 22 measles outbreaks were reported in the United States between Jan. 1 and Oct. 1. According to the CDC, this was the second-highest number of reported outbreaks since measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 and the highest in a single year since 1992.
Many of these cases came from an outbreak in New York City. Of the cases, 1,107, or 89%, were in patients who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. Children receive MMR vaccines as part of the regular course between the ages of 12 and 15 months for the first dose and 4 to 6 years for the second. The vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella and is 97% effective at preventing measles when both doses are given.
Measles symptoms
Parents and medical professionals alike are not always aware of the disease’s signs. They include:
According to the CDC, measles symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus and typically include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes. Measles rash appears 3 to 5 days after the first symptoms.
Other signs and symptoms of measles include:
- High fever
- Cough
- Runny nose and sneezing
- Red, watery eyes
- Loss of appetite, diarrhea
- Reddish-brown rash that can spread across the entire body
- Koplik spots, tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin
- Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots (the spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body)
- When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit