Public Health Alert as Measles Returns to North Dakota After Thirteen Years

North Dakota

Prime Highlights:

  • North Dakota is the 11th US state to have a measles outbreak, its since-2011 cases.
  • 935 confirmed cases of measles in the nation, with Texas leading the way, according to the CDC, and two child fatalities reported.

Key Facts:

  • Texas leads the way with 702 confirmed cases in 29 counties, with 91 hospitalizations and two child fatalities.
  • Other affected states include New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

Key Background:

The US is witnessing a horrific outbreak of measles, and North Dakota reported an outbreak last week being the 11th state. They are the state’s first cases of measles in more than ten years. At the local and national levels, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accounted for 935 instances in the initial half of this year—a record increase that practically doubles 2023’s rate. The boom in cases is forcing public health policymakers to take action with caution and vaccine.

Texas is worst affected, with 702 cases in 29 counties. There was also a cluster of 403 cases in Gaines County alone, a rural county with a population of just over 22,000. The Texas outbreak killed two children and hospitalized 91, evidence of the severity of the virus, especially in unvaccinated individuals.

Measles, officially declared eliminated from the United States in 2000, has reappeared with declining vaccine refusal and decreased vaccination rates in some groups. Measles is an airborne infectious illness. Measles manifestations involve fever, cough, congestive nasal discharge, red rash, and red eyes. The best prevention is the MMR vaccine with two doses being nearly entirely protective.

Several other states, including New Mexico (67 cases), Oklahoma, Kansas, and Michigan, have also experienced confirmed or probable cases. There have been reported cases in Ontario, Canada, and Chihuahua, Mexico. Public health officials report that all of the North American cases to this point have resulted from the same strain of measles, indicating an associated and continuous chain of transmission. Quarantine, mass vaccination on a large scale, and community mobilization are being used to prevent further infection. But the experts promise that unless the vaccination coverage is enhanced, the outbreaks will continue in the months to come.

Read MoreClick Here 

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
LinkedIn