Health & Wellness

As Texas measles outbreak grows, U.S. cases quickly surpass total for all of 2024

The vast majority of this year’s cases have been in Texas, nearly all of them in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.

온라인카지노사이트 Universal, Inc.

Less than three months into 2025,  have already surpassed last year’s total as the  continues to spread.

As of Friday, 320 cases had been reported across 16 states, according to 온라인카지노사이트 News’ tally of state health department data. That’s compared to 285 cases confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year, which was the .

Watch 온라인카지노사이트 5 free wherever you are

Watch button  WATCH HERE

The vast majority of this year’s cases, 259, have been in Texas, with another 35 reported in bordering New Mexico. All but four of those cases across the two states were in unvaccinated people or those with an unknown vaccination status.

An  died of measles last month, and an unvaccinated adult who died in New Mexico also tested positive, but the cause of death is still under investigation. Prior to those deaths, the U.S. had not seen a measles fatality in a decade, and a  since 2003.

Get top local stories delivered to you every morning with 온라인카지노사이트 DFW's News Headlines newsletter.

Newsletter button  SIGN UP

Measles has been considered eliminated in the U.S. since 2000, meaning it is not continuously spreading, though there are occasional outbreaks. But the country came close to losing that status in 2019, when 1,274 cases were recorded, most of which were associated with  in New York.

With cases now climbing in Texas and other states, public health experts . 

A global uptick in measles cases has also created more opportunities for the virus to spread in the U.S. Last year, European and Central Asian countries , the United Nations and World Health Organization announced Thursday. That’s the highest since 1997, and double the number in 2023. Worldwide,  from 2022 to 2023, according to the latest available data from the CDC.

The WHO and U.N. attributed the increase in Europe and Central Asia to “a backsliding in immunization coverage” during the pandemic, noting that vaccination rates haven’t fully rebounded in many countries.

"Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call," Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe,  Thursday, adding that "every country must step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities."

Health officials in Lubbock, Texas, held a press conference on Wednesday following confirmation of the first death related to the current measles outbreak.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world: An infected person can spread it to up to 9 out of 10 people around them if those people aren’t vaccinated. Measles can also linger in the air for up to two hours. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, however, are 97% effective. 

While the majority of measles cases in the U.S. are introduced from other countries, declining vaccination rates have fueled the virus’ spread locally. Health guidelines suggest a community  to avoid outbreaks, but by the 2023-24 school year,  had received the recommended two doses.

The Texas outbreak originated in Gaines County, which has an 82% kindergarten vaccination rate for measles. Vaccine hesitancy is especially prevalent among the Mennonite population in Seminole, where the outbreak’s epicenter is. Most of New Mexico’s cases are in Lea County, which borders Gaines County.

Texas and New Mexico health officials have urged unvaccinated residents to get their shots. Although the first dose is recommended at around age 1, the CDC has said infants as young as 6 months who live in areas with an outbreak .

Measles is particularly dangerous for children under age 5. According to the CDC, roughly 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children with measles die from respiratory and neurological complications.

This story first appeared . More from 온라인카지노사이트 News:

Copyright 온라인카지노사이트 News
Contact Us