Press Release Archive
7.14.08 - US Measles Outbreak Has Now Reached 15 States
The largest measles out break in the United States in more than adecade has now spread to a total of 15 states. Cases 1st began
popping up in May [2008], when more than 70 people in a dozen states
came down with the illness. According to federal health officials,
most of those who contracted measles were not vaccinated against the
highly contagious virus. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) said in a statement that the outbreak has been
traced to travelers who became sick overseas, returned home, and then
spread it to others.
Health officials are warning against the trend of parents not
immunizing their children, saying that failing to do so could have
devastating effects on the health of the country and world as a
whole. According to experts, outbreaks and epidemics will continue
throughout the developed world. Just last month [June 2008], British
health officials said that measles had become an epidemic there for
the 1st time since the mid-1990's due to parents not immunizing their children.
Dr. Larry Pickering of the CDC said in a news conference, "Until
better global control is achieved, cases will continue to be imported
into the United States and outbreaks will persist as long as there
are communities of unvaccinated people."
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that
typically grows in cells lining the back of the throat and lungs.
Once you have it, it is very difficult to get rid of. Symptoms
include: coughing, runny nose, high fever, and a rash that usually
starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. One in 5
measles suffers may experience a more severe illness which could
include ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, chronic neurological
deficits, encephalitis, and even death.
In poorer countries, measles remains a leading cause of death amongst
children. This outbreak comes just 8 years after the virus [was]
declared virtually dead in the US, thanks to a vaccination program
which began in the 1960s.
According to the CDC, states with reported cases now include:
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana,
Michigan, Missouri, New York, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
Wisconsin and Washington state, and Washington, D.C.