The U.S. is at risk of losing its status as a nation where measles has been eliminated, The Hill is reporting.
The country has held the designation since 2000, but a rash of measles outbreaks in the U.S. is sparking concerns among health officials.
The Hill noted that as of last week, 41 measles cases had been confirmed in 15 states and New York City – putting the nation on tracks to pass the 58 total cases in 2023.
"While we expect importations of measles cases into the United States to continue, the risk for measles for the majority of the population would still remain low," the Centers for Disease Control said. "That is because most people in the United States are vaccinated against measles.
"The World Health Organization [WHO] defines measles elimination as the absence of endemic measles virus transmission in a defined geographical area [e.g. region or country] for at least 12 months in the presence of a surveillance system that has been verified to be performing well.
"In 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the United States. That means the disease is no longer constantly present in this country. However, travelers continue to bring measles into the United States, and it can sometimes spread and cause outbreaks among people who are not vaccinated. If a measles outbreak continues for a year or more, the United States could lose its measles elimination status."
WHO sounded the alarm last month, highlighting a staggering 79% increase in measles cases worldwide compared to 2022, with more than 306,000 cases reported last year alone, CBS News reported.
Natasha Crowcroft, a WHO technical adviser, cautioned that the death toll from measles is also expected to rise, given the upward trend in case numbers.
And Sarah Lim, an infectious disease physician and member of the Infectious Disease Society of America said: "I think the year is not off to a great start. And definitely I think there is concern that this trend will continue and that we will see more cases. It is early, but I think it is cause for concern."
A great deal of the attention concerning measles cases in the U.S. has focused on Florida, where 10 cases have been detected across two counties so far.