Measles cases in US reach all-time high after disease was declared 'eliminated': Check symptoms and prevention tips
The surge in number of measles cases comes at a time when childhood vaccination rates are falling and a rise in anti-vaccine sentiment. The center reports that there are now 1,277 confirmed cases across 38 states and the District of Columbia, the highest annual tally since 1992. This figure has already surpassed the 1,274 cases recorded during the peak year of 2019, marking a critical public health milestone reached just halfway through 2025.
According to experts, this year measles' cases are likely severely undercounted because many are going unreported, The Hill reports. There have been at least 155 hospitalizations and three confirmed deaths from measles this year, including two otherwise healthy but unvaccinated children in Texas. A third death was reported in New Mexico in an unvaccinated adult who tested positive after dying.
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by Taboola
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'It's a harbinger of things to come,' Eric Ball, a leading pediatrician, told the Washington Post. 'Once we see a resurgence of measles, we know that other diseases are going to come behind it.'
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'When you talk to people on the ground, you get the sense that this outbreak has been severely underestimated,' Dr Paul Offit, director of the vaccine education center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia told The Guardian. Confirmed cases appear to be the 'tip of a much bigger iceberg', he said.
Texas reports highest number of measles cases
The majority of cases stem from a large outbreak originating in West Texas, where 753 confirmed cases have been reported across 36 counties since January. Gaines County remains the epicenter, with 55 percent of Texas cases concentrated in this area after the virus spread through a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. Some critics say Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s efforts to contain the epidemic in the tight-knit, religious West Texas community ran counter to established public health strategies used to end past epidemics, according to NewsWeek.
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Confirmed measles cases have been reported by 39 states and jurisdictions, with Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas showing the highest concentrations. Active outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases, are occurring in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah. Kentucky reported its first outbreak of 2025 last month.
What are the symptoms of measles?
The symptoms of measles appear seven to 14 days after virus contact and it includes high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. Measles is a viral disease characterized by a top-down rash, high fever, runny nose and red, watery eyes. The virus is one of the most infectious diseases known to medicine. There is no cure for measles.
The rash typically emerges three to five days after the first symptoms and is often paired with fever spikes that can exceed 104°F. Tiny white spots inside the mouth, known as Koplik's spots, may develop two to three days after symptoms start.
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How to stay safe?
Two doses of MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles, according to CDC. Measles is very contagious. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can get measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been. This can happen even up to 2 hours after that person has left.
Anyone showing symptoms should contact a healthcare provider immediately. Wash your hands frequently, avoid close contact with sick individuals, and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. These practices can help prevent the spread of measles and other infectious diseases.
If you are planning to travel, especially internationally, ensure you're fully vaccinated at least two weeks before departure. "Measles can live in the air for 2 hours after an infectious person leaves the space. Before any international travel, evaluate if your family needs early vaccine doses," the US CDC advises.
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