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Measles Outbreaks Surge: US Faces Worst Spread Since 1991
14 Jan
Summary
- US sees 2,144 measles cases in 44 states, three deaths last year.
- South Carolina's Spartanburg County has 434 measles cases.
- Arizona-Utah border outbreak has infected 418 people since August.
The United States is confronting its most extensive measles outbreak in over three decades, with 2,144 cases reported across 44 states last year, resulting in three fatalities, all unvaccinated. A severe cluster in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, has escalated to 434 cases, prompting widespread quarantines for hundreds of children exposed at school.
Concurrently, a persistent outbreak along the Arizona-Utah border, known as Short Creek, has infected 418 people since last August. Arizona has reported 217 cases in Mohave County, while Utah accounts for 201. Health officials express concern about potential undercounts in both ongoing situations.
Measles, a highly contagious airborne virus, can lead to severe complications. The MMR vaccine is highly effective, but declining childhood vaccination rates have increased the risk of losing the nation's measles elimination status.
