Measles cases in the United States have surpassed 1,000 for the first time in five years, marking one of the most severe disease outbreaks in recent history, according to federal data released on Friday.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported a total of 1,001 cases across 31 jurisdictions as of Thursday. However, Texas, the epicentre of the disease, posted one of the lowest counts of newly confirmed cases since the large outbreak began three months ago.
Infections only previously surpassed the 1,000 mark in 2019, when the country reported 1,274 cases.
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Texas still accounts for the vast majority of cases in the US, with 709 confirmed infections. Other states with active outbreaks include: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
Researchers have cautioned that the United States, nearly 25 years after declaring the disease eradicated, is on the brink of a resurgence of endemic measles.
US paediatricians and infectious disease experts say that the fight against rising measles cases nationwide is being hampered by a lack of forceful advocacy for vaccination by government health officials and by misleading statements about unproven treatments that confuse parents.
“I think we are still at risk of seeing these numbers at least stay steady, if not continue to increase over time,” said Lisa Maragakis, senior director of infection prevention at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
