The US is set to be hit by the deadliest measles outbreak in more than 20 years with the numbers spiking to a record high for the year’s first quarter. 

To date, there have been 712 confirmed measles cases reported by 25 jurisdictions, new CDC data shows.

The last time the disease was this rife in the US was in 2019, when there were 1,274 cases reported for the entire year.

And prior to that, the biggest outbreak was in 1990, with numbers spiking to more than 27,000. 

Currently, the affected states are: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. 

Of these cases, three-quarters were in children under 19.

Data suggests that 97 percent of the patients had not been vaccinated against the virus, while one percent had received only one dose.

The highest number of cases have been reported in Texas and New Mexico, while Kansas and Ohio have also seen a mounting number of reports.

The have now been two confirmed deaths from measles, both involving unvaccinated school aged-children in Texas, and one death in New Mexico remains under investigation. They are the first deaths since 2015.

The US is set to be hit by the deadliest measles outbreak in more than 20 years with the numbers spiking to a record high for the year’s first quarter 

To date, there have been 712 confirmed measles reported by 25 jurisdictions. Above, a map showing the states impacted by measles, highlighted in blue

Measles is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes.

The disease causes tiny white spots inside the mouth, flat red spots on the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet, ear infections and an intense fever.

In extreme cases, measles can cause pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and may lead to death.

Health officials say travelers should monitor for symptoms, with these generally developing seven to 21 days after exposure.

Cold-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough and a runny or blocked nose, are usually the first signal of measles before a rash develops.

Exposed individuals who have been free of symptoms for more than 21 days (up to March 11) should no longer be at risk.

Doctors in Texas’ rural community are mostly dealing with measles patients for the first time.

Billboards have been erected in the county warning of the outbreak, and flyers have been handed out. 

Some people are also posting in local WhatsApp groups to urge others to ensure they are up to date on their vaccines.

Measles was officially eradicated in the US in 2000 amid a successful vaccination campaign.

The CDC describes achieving measles elimination status in the US as a ‘historic public health achievement’. 

But over the years the viral infection has returned, causing sporadic outbreaks following a drop in inoculation rates.

Vaccine uptake across the US are falling and the MMR jab that protects against measles has fallen below a dangerous threshold 

Cold-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough and a runny or blocked nose, are usually the first signal of measles

It is the most infectious disease known, with one patient able to pass the infection on to nine others if they are in a room with ten other people.

About 40 percent of patients are hospitalized in the US, while about three in 1,000 die from the disease after suffering from deadly brain swelling.

Measles is transmitted via direct contact with infectious droplets released into the air by patients when they cough, sneeze or breathe.

Infectious droplets can hang in the air for around two hours, with symptoms emerging within seven to 14 days of infection.

Patients develop a fever, cough, and runny nose, which then develops into a rash that starts at the hairline before spreading to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.

There’s no cure for measles, with doctors instead using antibiotics to treat related infections and IV fluids. 

The measles vaccine (MMR) is 97 percent effective as preventing the virus and is required for children to attend school, but some states allow exemptions based on religious reasons. 

Across the country, the percentage of children seeking exemptions has risen over the past decade, from 0.76 percent in 2014 to 3.3 percent during the 2023-2024 school year. 

According to the CDC, in 2024 vaccination coverage among kindergartners declined for all shots – down to 93 percent for MMR.