Latest news with #LaurieForlano
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Three more states confirm measles cases
April 20 (UPI) -- Three more states confirmed their first measles cases of the year over the weekend, as the United States battles a growing outbreak of the highly contagious disease that has now touched more than half of all U.S. states. Louisiana and Virginia confirmed their first cases of the illness on Saturday after Missouri added their names to the list of states with confirmed cases a day prior. Each state confirmed one case and all had recent history of international travel. The Louisiana Department of Health identified the patient in a statement as an unvaccinated adult in the greater New Orleans area. Their exposure is seemingly linked to international travel and they are in isolation at a local hospital where they are being treated for the disease, the department said. "The LDH Office of Public Health is working to identify and notify those who have come into contact with the infected individual," it said. The patient in Virginia has been identified by local health officials as a child under the age of 4 with recent international travel history. No other information about the patient was provided to protect the privacy of the family. "This first case of measles in Virginia this year is a reminder of how easily this highly contagious disease can spread, particularly with international travel," VDH State Epidemiological Laurie Forlano said in a statement. "Vaccination remains our best defense against measles and is safe and highly effective at protecting people and preventing outbreaks. We urge Virginians, especially those planning to travel, to check their vaccination status, talk to their healthcare provider and get the MMR vaccine if needed." In Missouri, health officials said the state's first confirmed patient of the year was also a child whose vaccination status was unknown. They said the child was "a visitor of Taney County associated with international travel." "There is no indication of widespread exposure, as this person was diagnosed soon after arrival to Taney County," the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said in a statement. "Exposure is believed to be limited, and known contacts have been identified and contacted." Also on Friday, Michigan -- which confirmed its first infection of the year on March 14 -- announced an outbreak involving three confirmed patients. Their infections are linked to an outbreak of hundreds of cases in Ontario, Canada, the state's health officials said. With the three states confirming infections, the number of states with measles cases this year rises to at least 27 as of Sunday night. The website for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which last updated its statistics on Friday, states a total of 800 cases of measles has been confirmed this year, with 96% of the patients either unvaccinated or having an unknown vaccination status. Eighty-five of the patients have been hospitalized and there have been three deaths associated with the disease. With nearly 600 confirmed cases, Texas is by far the most affected state. Only 2019's 1,274 measles cases exceed this year's tally since 2000, when the United States declared it had eliminated measles from its borders.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana, Missouri and Virginia report first measles cases of 2025
Louisiana, Missouri and Virginia have all reported their first measles cases in 2025, and they say all three patients' cases are linked to international travel. The most recently announced case in northwest Virginia is a child in the 0 to 4-year age range who had recently traveled internationally, according to the state's health department. Officials did not clarify if the child was vaccinated against the virus. 'This first case of measles in Virginia this year is a reminder of how easily this highly contagious disease can spread, particularly with international travel,' said state epidemiologist Laurie Forlano. 'Vaccination remains our best defense against measles and is safe and highly effective at protecting people and preventing outbreaks.' The Virginia Department of Health identified two Kaiser Permanente medical centers in Woodbridge and Fredericksburg as areas of potential exposure, adding that officials are working to help identify those exposed to the illness. The Louisiana case is an adult from the southeast of the state who was not vaccinated against measles, according to the Department of Health. The patient received treatment at a hospital and is in isolation, where they will remain until no longer infectious. 'The LDH Office of Public Health is working to identify and notify those who have come into contact with the infected individual,' the department said. The Missouri measles case involves a child 'associated with recent international travel' visiting Taney County, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said. The child's age and vaccination status is not clear at this time. 'There is no indication of widespread exposure as this person was diagnosed soon after arrival to Taney County,' the department said in an update. 'Exposure is believed to be limited, and known contacts have been identified and contacted.' These cases come amid the largest measles outbreak the U.S. has faced in six years. Even given the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has remained relatively silent on the public health threat, providing just weekly updates on its website and sending an alert to doctors last month. Earlier this month, the Texas Department of State Health Services said the measles toll in the state rose to 481 confirmed cases, including six young children at a day care center in Lubbock. Fifty-six people have been hospitalized in the area since the disease started spreading in late January. The CDC sent 2,000 doses of the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine to Texas health officials at their request, but hasn't held a news briefing about the illness since 2019, when two large outbreaks in New York threatened to reverse the United States' status of having eliminated the virus. Before this year, the United States had not had a measles death in a decade, and a child had not died of measles since 2003. This article was originally published on
NBC News
20-04-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Louisiana, Missouri and Virginia report first measles cases of 2025
Louisiana, Missouri and Virginia have all reported their first measles cases in 2025, and they say all three patients' cases are linked to international travel. The most recently announced case in northwest Virginia is a child in the 0 to 4-year age range who had recently traveled internationally, according to the state's health department. Officials did not clarify if the child was vaccinated against the virus. 'This first case of measles in Virginia this year is a reminder of how easily this highly contagious disease can spread, particularly with international travel,' said state epidemiologist Laurie Forlano. 'Vaccination remains our best defense against measles and is safe and highly effective at protecting people and preventing outbreaks.' The Virginia Department of Health identified two Kaiser Permanente medical centers in Woodbridge and Fredericksburg as areas of potential exposure, adding that officials are working to help identify those exposed to the illness. The Louisiana case is an adult from the southeast of the state who was not vaccinated against measles, according to the Department of Health. The patient received treatment at a hospital and is in isolation, where they will remain until no longer infectious. 'The LDH Office of Public Health is working to identify and notify those who have come into contact with the infected individual,' the department said. The Missouri measles case involves a child 'associated with recent international travel' visiting Taney County, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said. The child's vaccination status is not clear at this time. 'There is no indication of widespread exposure as this person was diagnosed soon after arrival to Taney County,' the department said in an update. 'Exposure is believed to be limited, and known contacts have been identified and contacted.' These cases come amid the largest measles outbreak the U.S. has faced in six years. Even given the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has remained relatively silent on the public health threat, providing just weekly updates on its website and sending an alert to doctors last month. Earlier this month, the Texas Department of State Health Services said the measles toll in the state rose to 481 confirmed cases, including six young children at a day care center in Lubbock. Fifty-six people have been hospitalized in the area since the disease started spreading in late January. The CDC sent 2,000 doses of the measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine to Texas health officials at their request, but hasn't held a news briefing about the illness since 2019, when two large outbreaks in New York threatened to reverse the United States' status of having eliminated the virus. Before this year, the United States had not had a measles death in a decade, and a child had not died of measles since 2003.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles cases spread to three more states
Measles has spread to three more states as the outbreak reaches 800 confirmed cases across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Louisiana, Virginia and Missouri each confirmed their first cases over the weekend, with at least 27 states now reporting the disease. All three of the new cases in the states were linked to international travel, according to state health officials. The Department of Health in Louisiana said the individual who tested positive was not vaccinated and will remain in isolation until they are no longer infectious. The patient is in the greater New Orleans area. A child in Virginia is the state's first case of measles this year, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed. The child's vaccination status is unknown. 'This first case of measles in Virginia this year is a reminder of how easily this highly contagious disease can spread, particularly with international travel,' the department's epidemiologist Laurie Forlano said. 'Vaccination remains our best defense against measles and is safe and highly effective at protecting people and preventing outbreaks. We urge Virginians, especially those planning to travel, to check their vaccination status, talk to their health care provider, and get the MMR vaccine if needed.' In Missouri, the first case detected in the state is also a child whose vaccination status has not yet been verified by officials. 'There is no indication of widespread exposure as this person was diagnosed soon after arrival to Taney County,' the state health department said. 'Exposure is believed to be limited, and known contacts have been identified and contacted.' Confirmed cases across the U.S. now stand at 800, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. It is nearly three times the total number of 285 cases reported in 2024, according to CDC data. Cases are most prevalent in Texas, where two school-aged children have died from the disease. A 6-year-old girl from Gaines County, the center of the outbreak, died in February, the first measles death in the U.S. in a decade. An 8-year-old girl from the same town, Seminole, died earlier this month. Out of 800 cases, 597 are in West Texas. Earlier this month Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who rose to prominence as an anti-vaccine advocate, met with the family of the 8-year-old girl who died from the disease. Kennedy's inconsistent and unclear message on the measles vaccines has made the outbreaks difficult to contain, experts say. He has occasionally endorsed the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as 'effective,' but also continues to raise safety concerns about the shots in other statements. In a CBS interview last week, he claimed the vaccines were 'not safety tested.' That approach has been the biggest flaw of the government's response, said Dr. Carlos del Rio, past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 'Imagine if the captain of the Titanic had told you that you need to be careful about lifeboats and think about other opportunities,' del Rio said. Trials were conducted on thousands of children before the vaccine was approved for use in the 1960s. The federal government has since used medical records to continue to monitor for side effects from use in millions of people since. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Texas and about two-thirds of states have introduced legislation this year that would make it easier to opt out of vaccines or otherwise put up barriers to ensuring more people get shots, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. That further undercuts efforts to keep infectious diseases at bay, health officials said. AP contributed reporting
The Independent
20-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Measles cases spread to three more states
Measles has spread to three more states as the outbreak reaches 800 confirmed cases across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Louisiana, Virginia and Missouri each confirmed their first cases over the weekend, with at least 27 states now reporting the disease. All three of the new cases in the states were linked to international travel, according to state health officials. The Department of Health in Louisiana said the individual who tested positive was not vaccinated and will remain in isolation until they are no longer infectious. The patient is in the greater New Orleans area. A child in Virginia is the state's first case of measles this year, the Virginia Department of Health confirmed. The child's vaccination status is unknown. 'This first case of measles in Virginia this year is a reminder of how easily this highly contagious disease can spread, particularly with international travel,' the department's epidemiologist Laurie Forlano said. 'Vaccination remains our best defense against measles and is safe and highly effective at protecting people and preventing outbreaks. We urge Virginians, especially those planning to travel, to check their vaccination status, talk to their health care provider, and get the MMR vaccine if needed.' In Missouri, the first case detected in the state is also a child whose vaccination status has not yet been verified by officials. 'There is no indication of widespread exposure as this person was diagnosed soon after arrival to Taney County,' the state health department said. 'Exposure is believed to be limited, and known contacts have been identified and contacted.' Confirmed cases across the U.S. now stand at 800, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. It is nearly three times the total number of 285 cases reported in 2024, according to CDC data. Cases are most prevalent in Texas, where two school-aged children have died from the disease. A 6-year-old girl from Gaines County, the center of the outbreak, died in February, the first measles death in the U.S. in a decade. An 8-year-old girl from the same town, Seminole, died earlier this month. Out of 800 cases, 597 are in West Texas. Earlier this month Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who rose to prominence as an anti-vaccine advocate, met with the family of the 8-year-old girl who died from the disease. Kennedy's inconsistent and unclear message on the measles vaccines has made the outbreaks difficult to contain, experts say. He has occasionally endorsed the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as 'effective,' but also continues to raise safety concerns about the shots in other statements. In a CBS interview last week, he claimed the vaccines were 'not safety tested.' That approach has been the biggest flaw of the government's response, said Dr. Carlos del Rio, past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 'Imagine if the captain of the Titanic had told you that you need to be careful about lifeboats and think about other opportunities,' del Rio said. Trials were conducted on thousands of children before the vaccine was approved for use in the 1960s. The federal government has since used medical records to continue to monitor for side effects from use in millions of people since. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Texas and about two-thirds of states have introduced legislation this year that would make it easier to opt out of vaccines or otherwise put up barriers to ensuring more people get shots, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. That further undercuts efforts to keep infectious diseases at bay, health officials said.
