Measles elimination in U.S. is under 'renewed threat,' CDC warns

The CDC warned in a report that the rapid increase in measles cases this year represents a renewed threat to the disease's elimination in the U.S.

Measles has spread at a rapid clip this year. From January to March, the U.S. recorded around 30% of the total cases seen since the beginning of 2020. 

From 2020 through 2023, the U.S. recorded an average of five measles cases in the first quarter of each year. Those low numbers were due, in part, to the Covid pandemic, when fewer people were interacting in person. By contrast, this year’s first-quarter tally was 97, according to a report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Thursday.

"The rapid increase in the number of reported measles cases during the first quarter of 2024 represents a renewed threat to elimination," the authors wrote. 

Measles has been considered eliminated in the U.S. since 2000, meaning the disease is no longer constantly present, though there are still occasional outbreaks.

The country nearly lost that elimination status in 2019, when it recorded more than 1,200 cases — most of which were associated with outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. The high case load this year could put that elimination in jeopardy once again: As of April 4, the U.S. had already recorded seven outbreaks and 113 cases.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/measles-cdc-us-elimination-status-threatened-rcna147365

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