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NEW YORK (AP) – The number of measles cases in the United States in the first three months of this year has surpbaded 2018, health authorities said.
There were 387 cases until March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Monday. There were 372 last year.
Figures are preliminary and may change. But the 2019 count is already the highest since 2014, when 667 were reported.
This year's figures were driven by epidemics in several states, including New York, California, Illinois, Texas and Washington.
Most people with measles have not been vaccinated. In the United States, most outbreaks are caused by travelers who have contracted the virus in countries where measles is more prevalent. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 83,000 people contracted measles in Europe in 2018, the highest number in 10 years.
The measles vaccine is 97% effective, according to the CDC.
Measles spreads in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes and is extremely contagious.
For most people, measles is miserable but not life-threatening. Fever, runny nose, cough and rash all over the body are the most common symptoms. However, a very small fraction of the population is much sicker and can suffer from complications such as pneumonia and swelling of the brain. In addition, measles can cause pregnant women to give birth prematurely.
Three measles-related deaths have been reported in the United States since 2000, including two in 2003 and one in 2015.
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