We have been hearing a lot about ongoing measles outbreaks in the United States this year.
Brooklyn. Rockland County. The Pacific Northwest.
Think 2018 was a big year for measles? It was the second highest number of cases since 1996.
How will 2019 shape up?
Consider that it isn’t even the end of January yet is only May and we have already had more cases, 74 92 273 900+, than we had any years since 1994.
Not surprisingly, this isn’t just happening in the United States.
Where Is Measles on the Rise?
In fact, if you understand that the endemic spread of measles was eliminated in the United States in 2000 and that outbreaks are started by folks with measles who travel in or out of the country, then it makes sense that more measles here likely means that there is more measles somewhere else.
Unfortunately, this year, that somewhere else seems to be just about everywhere.
Are you planning a trip to Europe anytime soon?
You should know that their measles outbreaks aren’t over. There are ongoing outbreaks in France, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Germany.
“Between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019, 30 EU/EEA Member States reported 11 383 cases of measles, 8 396 (74%) of which were laboratory-confirmed. None of the countries reported no cases. The highest number of cases were reported by Italy (2 107), France (2 028), Romania (1 390), Greece (870), United Kingdom (860), Poland (828), Germany (733) and Slovakia (714)…
Twenty-two deaths attributable to measles were reported to TESSy during the 12-month period in Romania (14), Italy (5), France (2) and Greece (1).”
Monthly measles and rubella monitoring report May 2019
Where else are we seeing measles?
- at least 4,100 cases in Israel, 2 deaths, and a case of encephalitis since 2018, with the majority of cases in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Safed, and Betar Illit
- over 31,056 cases and 415 deaths in the Philippines (2019)
- nearly 2,000 cases in Vietnam (2018) and cases are increasing in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City already in 2019
- in Madagascar, as of 3 of April there were 122,840 registered cases, and 1,233 reported deaths
- at least 517 confirmed cases in the UK (through the 3rd quarter of 2018)
- India remains the country with the most cases, with over 65,600 cases in 2018
- a large outbreak in Thailand, with at least 4,327 cases and 4 deaths
- an ongoing outbreak in Malaysia with over 1,934 cases and 6 deaths (2018)
- an outbreak in Myanmar with over 1,300 cases and one death
- at least 79 cases in the Republic of Korea (2019)
- Ukraine continues to see a lot of cases, over 24,000, and some deaths
- over 2,200 cases in Russia
- Australia – 102 cases (2019)
- Canada – 45 cases (2019)
- outbreaks in Yemen, Nigeria, Sudan, and DR Congo
And over 16,000 confirmed measles cases, including 86 deaths, were reported in 12 countries of the Region of the Americas in 2018: Antigua and Barbuda (1 case), Argentina (14 cases), Brazil (9,898 cases, including 13 deaths), Canada (29 cases), Chile (2 cases ), Colombia (171 cases), Ecuador (19 cases), Guatemala (1 case), Mexico (5 cases), Peru (38 cases), the United States of America (350 cases), and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (5,643 cases, including 73 deaths).
So far this year, cases have been reported from Argentina, the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, the United States of America, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Does it seem like measles is on the rise everywhere?
That’s because it basically is.
Since 2017, there has been a measles resurgence in three regions of the world and measles elimination milestones have not been met.
And as you can see, in almost all of these places where we are seeing more measles, we are seeing more people dying of measles?
That’s why it is important to get vaccinated.
There is even a recommendation to get an early MMR if you will be traveling out of the United States. Get vaccinated. Don’t bring home measles and start an outbreak.
More on the Resurgance of Measles
- VAXOPEDIA – News on the Latest Measles Outbreaks of 2019
- VAXOPEDIA – What to Do If Your Child Is Exposed to Measles
- VAXOPEDIA – How Do Anti-Vaccine Folks Respond to New Information?
- VAXOPEDIA – Who Dies with Measles
- VAXOPEDIA – When Was the Last Measles Death in the United States
- VAXOPEDIA – How Many People Get Measles Each Year
- VAXOPEDIA – Costs of a Measles Outbreak
- MMWR – Progress Toward Regional Measles Elimination — Worldwide, 2000–2017
- Measles in Japan
- Weekly measles and rubella reports in Canada
- ECDC – Communicable disease threats report, 6-12 January 2019, week 2
- ECDC – Measles
- WHO – Measles and Rubella Surveillance Data
- PAHO – Measles in the Americas: New epidemiological update
- UK Measles and Rubella elimination strategy 2019
- Travel Alert – Rubella in Japan
- Travel Alert – Measles in Kazakhstan
- Travel Alert – Measles in Madagascar
- Travel Alert – Measles in Moldova
- Travel Alert – Measles in Israel
- Travel Alert – Measles in Colombia
- Travel Alert – Measles in Brazil
- Travel Alert – Measles in Ukraine
- Travel Alert – Measles in Indonesia
- Travel Alert – Measles in Romania
- Travel Alert – Measles in Italy
- Travel Alert – Measles in England
- Travel Alert – Measles in Serbia
- Travel Alert – Measles in the Philippines
- Travel Alert – Measles in Greece
- Travel Alert – Measles in France
Updated May 17, 2019