This interactive map shows the 25 US counties at high risk of measles outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that they have seen 764 cases of measles since the beginning of the year, exceeding the highest number of cases observed in a single year since the declared elimination of the disease. the disease in 2000. And we are only in May.

With outbreaks in New Jersey, Michigan, New York City and Maryland, among others, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have been working to identify the counties of the United States most at risk this year .

The researchers have identified the main factors behind the resurgence of measles cases in the United States, namely the reintroduction of the virus by people traveling to / from countries experiencing outbreaks, and (will shock you) vaccination rates low powered by non-medical exemptions. Using this foundation, the team has been able to predict which areas of the United States are most at risk for outbreaks and create an interactive online map that you can use to visualize the risk in your region.

"There has been a resurgence of measles cases, among other vaccine-preventable diseases, in the US and in other countries in recent years," said Lauren Gardner, Johns Associate Professor. Hopkins and one of the authors of the study, in a statement.

"Measles, in particular, poses a serious threat to public health because of the highly contagious nature of the disease, so it is essential to proactively identify the areas most likely to experience outbreaks to be targeted. strategically for monitoring and control. "

The analysis took into account non-medical immunization exemption rates, anonymous data on total passenger travel from all international airports, population and county size, as well as data on outbreaks of measles in the world.

With the help of this information, their analysis has made it possible to correctly identify areas that have already experienced epidemics (such as those in Oregon, Washington, and New York) and to predict 39 other areas potentially at risk.

Here are the counties at risk of epidemics, from highest to lowest:

1) Cook, Illinois
2) Los Angeles, California
3) Miami-Dade, Florida
4) Queens, New York
5) The King, Washington
6) Maricopa, Arizona
7) Broward, Florida
8) Clark, Nevada
9) Harris, Texas
10) Honolulu, Hawaii
11) Wayne, Michigan
12) Tarrant, Texas
13) Multnomah, Oregon
14) Orange, Florida
15) Essex, New Jersey
16) Denver, Colorado
17) Hillsborough, Florida
18) San Mateo, California
19) Salt Lake, Utah
20) Suffolk, Massachusetts
21) Clayton, Georgia
22) Travis, Texas
23) Hennepin, Minnesota
24) Loudoun, Virginia
25) San Diego, California

The authors also identified the countries that pose the greatest risk of measles in the United States: India, China, Mexico, Japan, Ukraine, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The researchers recommended that public health officials focus their efforts on counties identified as high risk, particularly those adjacent to counties with persistent outbreaks, and counties with large international airports.

The team, writing in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, says its analysis could be applied to other vaccine-preventable diseases. They also have a message for anti-vaxxers.

"Anti-vaxxers deny the most powerful and successful medical science we have," said Sahotra Sarkar, professor of philosophy and integrative biology at the University of Texas at Austin, in a statement. "[They are] instead choosing to rely on fraudulent claims, such as an alleged link to autism, which have been systematically refuted by evidence and analysis over the past two decades. "

You can view their interactive map here, which shows the risk of an outbreak in your area of ​​the United States.