New Cases And Low Vaccination Rates In Some Areas Raise Measles Concerns
Some states in the Northeast are reporting a rise in measles. That trend is expected to spread to westward, including to some spots where vaccination rates are low enough to raise alarms for the CDC.
The Guardian:
Measles Making A Comeback In US Due To Vaccine Skepticism, Says CDC
Taylor Nelson, a University of Missouri healthcare center infectious disease physician, said to the news station KRCG that measles would probably spread to the Midwest and the West Coast given the situation laid out by the CDC. If measles cases are discovered, healthcare workers are asked to isolate patients, immediately notify local and state health departments, test patients with nose or throat swabs, and ensure all patients are vaccinated against the disease, especially if traveling internationally. (Salam, 1/30)
The Baltimore Sun:
The U.S. Has Had 23 Measles Cases In The Past Month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging health care providers to be “on alert” for patients with symptoms of measles — a virus declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000 — after nearly two dozen cases have been reported across the country in the past month. (Roberts, 1/30)
CBS News:
Investigation Uncovers High Measles Risk At 350 Southern California Schools With Low Vaccination Rates
Concerns are heightened across the United States as the East Coast experiences an unexpected outbreak of measles. A CBS News investigation revealed that at least 8,500 American schools are at risk of similar outbreaks as vaccination rates drop below the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommended 95% for student bodies, hundreds of which are located in California. (Palombo, 1/30)
The Hill:
Can You Get Measles As An Adult? What To Know Amid Uptick In Cases
As we saw with COVID-19, there are essentially two ways to be considered “protected,” either through a vaccine or recovering from a case of the virus. More specifically, the CDC says you’re protected if at least one of the following is true: you’ve had two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, you’ve had one dose if you won’t be in a high-risk setting for measles transmission, you’ve already had measles, a laboratory has confirmed you’re immune or you were born before 1957.Measles vaccines have been available since the 1960s, and states have largely required children to have them before attending school. That means there’s a good chance you’ve already been vaccinated against measles, and because those vaccines are more than 90% effective at preventing the disease — 97% if you got two doses of an MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine, 93% if you got one, according to the CDC — you are, most likely, safe from it. (Bink, 1/30)
On the spread of TB, NTM, and Legionnaire's disease —
The Mercury News:
Why TB Cases Are Rising In California After Decades Of Decline
Once known as consumption, the disease that killed Eleanor Roosevelt, Frederic Chopin and all five of the sisters Bronte, tuberculosis is often viewed as a bygone threat. But there is an uptick in new California illnesses after years of decline, with the number of cases in the Golden State increasing from 1,704 in 2020 to 1,848 in 2022. On Tuesday, Santa Clara County released new data showing a 19% jump in cases from 2022 to 2023. Increased cases also were reported in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties. (Krieger, 1/30)
CIDRAP:
Nontuberculosis Mycobacteria Outbreak Linked To Florida Cosmetic Surgery Clinic
A cluster of nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) skin infections across nine states has been linked to cosmetic surgery procedures and gaps in infection control at a clinic in Florida, researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) reported last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. (Dall, 1/30)
CBS News:
2 Legionnaires' Disease Cases Identified In Brooklyn
New York City's Health Department is alerting tenants of a public housing building in Brooklyn about Legionnaires' disease. Two residents in the building on Sutter Avenue in Brownsville have been diagnosed with the disease within the past 12 months. People get Legionnaire's disease by breathing in the vapor of contaminated water. Health officials say residents should not take showers since they can create mist. However, tenants can still use and drink the water. (Zanger, 1/30)
