The measles outbreak in Pennsylvania has reached a record high. As reported by The Washington Post, the outbreak, which started around April, has infected 1,066, with 5 reported deaths being confirmed.
This is the largest single measles outbreak since the '90s, where the disease affected tens of thousands of people. Since then, health officials have blamed a trend away from vaccination to the increased numbers.
The Pennsylvania outbreak comes following a similarly high number of cases in South Carolina earlier this year. In that case, just under 1,000 were affected - but this outbreak has now trounced that.
Healthcare officials are worried, and are seeking to highlight their concerns to the general public. Jennifer Nuzzo, the director of the Brown University Pandemic Center, expressed concern about teh upward trend of measles. "We're living with measles as an ongoing public health threat to the United States."
After the heavy outbreak 35 years ago, people were advised to get doses of the MMR (mumps; measles; and rubella) vaccine. This proved effective, with measles effectively being eliminated from the US around 2000. But now, this may not be the case, as people continue to be infected.
Nuzzo added, "As long as measles continues to transmit in the country, it will find its way into these exquisitely vulnerable communities and cause massive outbreaks."
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What Do I Do if I Think I Have Measles?
Per the Mayo Clinic, here are the symptoms of measles, and what you should do if you think you or someone you know has it:
- Symptoms
- Fever as high as 105F
- Dry cough
- Runny nose
- Conjunctivitis (red, watery eyes)
- Koplik spots - tiny white spots in the mouth
- Rash - large, flat spots & small, raised bumps
- What to do?
- See a doctor immediately if you see the rash, as it is quite distinct and you can tell it is measles.
- "Check your family's vaccination records with your healthcare professional. This is most important before your children star child care, school or college, and before traveling outside the U.S."
We hope that this outbreak does not get any worse than it already is. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who is affected.
