In its weekly update today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 40 more measles cases today, boosting the number of infections this year to 1,267, which is just 8 shy of passing the total in 2019, which was the highest since the disease was eliminated in the country in 2000.
Though the large outbreak in West Texas has slowed substantially, the number of smaller outbreaks and travel-related cases continues to grow. The CDC this week reported 4 more outbreaks, raising the national total to 27. So far this year, 88% of confirmed cases have been linked to outbreaks. For comparison, the United States had 16 outbreaks for all of 2024.
PAHO reports 29-fold rise in measles cases
The US measles surge is occurring amid even bigger rises in Canada and Mexico, and all three countries have had large outbreaks fueled by virus spread in Mennonite communities, though health officials warn that outbreaks can affect anywhere pockets of undervaccinated people live.
In an update on measles in the Americas yesterday, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Canada has confirmed 3,170 cases, 1 of them fatal, and Mexico has recorded 2,597 cases, which includes 9 deaths. Canada has the most cases since the country eliminated the disease in 1998; meanwhile, most of Mexico’s cases are centered in Chihuahua state.
Measles cases in the Americas this year are up 29-fold compared to the same period in 2024, PAHO said. For the region, cases began rising in the third week of the year, peaking in late April will infections concentrated in vaccine-hesitant communities in multiple regions of the Americas. The proportion of cases was highest in children in young adults, but the incidence rate was highest in younger children. Thirty percent of patients were unvaccinated, while vaccination status wasn’t known for 65%.
Wyoming confirms first case in 15 years
The Wyoming Department of Health yesterday announced the state’s first case since 2010, which involves an unvaccinated child from Natrona County, which is home to Casper.
So far, the source of the child’s infection isn’t known, and the WDH said public exposure may have occurred during the child’s brief visits to a Casper emergency department on June 24 and June 25.
Alexia Harrist, MD. PhD, state health officer warned that measles is one of the most contagious diseases, but is preventable. “The MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella] vaccine is safe and highly effective, providing long-lasting protection. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective in preventing measles, and we recommend that all Wyoming residents ensure they and their children are up to date on MMR vaccinations.”
More cases in 4 states
In other developments, a handful of states reported more cases. Utah, which recently confirmed its first cases that were followed by more related detections, reported two more infections, raising its total to nine.
In Michigan, the Kent County Health Department, located in Grand Rapids, announced a measles case in a young child whose family had recently traveled internationally. It added that the new case marks the county’s second case of the year and the 17th to be confirmed in Michigan.
Meanwhile, Florida has reported its third case of the year, involving a young adult from Leon County, home to Tallahassee, who was exposed during travel outside the country in June, according to a local media report that cited the Florida Department of Health.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment today reported 3 more cases, all linked to an outbreak in the southwest of the state that was tied to the large West Texas outbreak. The state now has 83 cases, 80 of them linked to the main outbreak that spans 11 counties.
