The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released their updated data on the measles outbreak in the United States and 16 additional cases were reported during the past week.
The case tally now stands at 170 from 17 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 90 percent of cases reported are from 5 states–California (113), Illinois (15), Nevada (8), and Arizona and Washington with seven each.
Federal health officials link 125 cases, or 74% as part of a large, ongoing multi-state outbreak linked to at least two Disney parks in California.
Illinois, Nevada, and Washington are reporting outbreaks that aren’t linked to the Disney outbreak.
The CDC suggests the outbreak has it’s genesis from a traveler who became infected overseas with measles, then visited the amusement park while infectious. However, no source has been identified.
The California Department of Public Health says that in addition to the measles genotype B3 (the type found in the large measles outbreak in the Philippines and elsewhere), new introductions of measles (D8 strain) have also occurred.
Last year, the United States experienced a record number of measles cases with 644 cases from 27 states. That was the most cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000.
