From WN

Reuters reports the seriousness of the measles outbreak in the United States continues to swell as the country recorded 75 news cases of the disease in the last week, raising the total to 839 cases in the worst outbreak since 1994, federal health officials said Monday.

Blaming the resurgence on the spread of misinformation about the vaccine, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a 9.8 percent increase in measles cases across 23 states since Friday, the report said.

U.S. parents have been vocal in their opposition to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, Reuters reported, which runs contrary to current scientific consensus it may cause autism. Federal health officials said this outbreak has mostly affected children who have not received the vaccine, which provides immunity to the disease.

The outbreak continues to be contained, the report said, as Pennsylvania became the latest state to confirm at least one case.

Although the virus was eliminated from the country in 2000, meaning it was no longer continually present year round, outbreaks still happen via travelers coming from countries where measles is still common, the CDC says.

This outbreak has escalated since 82 people in 2018 and more than 40 people in 2019 brought measles to the United States from other countries, most frequently Ukraine, Israel and the Philippines, federal officials said.

– WN.com, Jack Durschlag

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