Measles update: These 5 states now have active outbreaks
More measles cases reported across the country
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, Infectious Disease Expert, joins LiveNOW from FOX to talk about more measles cases being reported across the country. According to the CDC, there were more than 160 cases reported.
The U.S. is once again seeing an uptick in measles cases, with five states confirming active outbreaks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines an outbreak as three or more related cases
It’s the second consecutive year that the U.S. is reporting a rise in cases.
Where are measles outbreaks?
By the numbers:
Texas has reached 422 cases of measles in an outbreak that started two months ago. Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, Kansas and Oklahoma all have active measles outbreaks.
Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico reported new measles cases this week, with the outbreak expanding for the first time into central Texas.
Since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes. A school-age child died of measles in Texas in late February, and New Mexico reported its first measles-related death in an adult on March 6.
The backstory:
Texas' outbreak began two months ago. State health officials said Tuesday there were 22 new cases of measles since Friday, bringing the total to 422 across 19 counties — most in West Texas. Erath and Brown counties, in the central part of the state, logged their first cases. Forty-two people have been hospitalized since the outbreak began.
The measles virus, paramyxoviridae from the Morbillivirus family, transmission microscopy view. (Credit: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
New Mexico announced four new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 48. New Mexico health officials say the cases are linked to Texas' outbreak based on genetic testing. Most are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and two are in Eddy County.
Measles cases surge
Dig deeper:
Already, the U.S. has more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.
Measles cases have also been reported in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.
Measles case confirmed in L.A. County resident
A case of measles has been confirmed in a Los Angeles County resident who recently traveled through LAX. Infectious disease expert Peter Chin-Hong joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to discuss.
The multi-state measles outbreak confirms health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread could stretch on for a year. The World Health Organization said last week that cases in Mexico are linked to the Texas outbreak.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours.
RELATED: Measles cases rising in US, health officials say: Here's why
Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, the U.S. saw some 3 million to 4 million cases per year. Now, it’s usually fewer than 200 in a normal year.
It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
Do I need measles vaccine?
What you can do:
The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
What they're saying:
People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.
Adults with "presumptive evidence of immunity" generally don’t need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.
A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.
Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC said.
People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don’t need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from "killed" virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don’t know which type they received.
What are measles symptoms?
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.
Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
How can you treat measles?
There’s no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.
The Source: The Associated Press, previous FOX TV Stations reporting contributed to this story. This story was reported from Los Angeles.