US Might Lose Elimination Status As Measles Cases Climb
Where are the cases coming from? A CDC report Thursday said most involved unvaxxed Americans who got infected in the Middle East and Africa, AP reported. Also: bird flu and data-sharing.
CIDRAP:
CDC: Spike In Measles Cases Poses Threat To US Elimination Status
A rapid rise in measles cases in the first months of 2024 threatens the United States' elimination status, a situation the nation hasn't faced since 2019, when prolonged outbreaks posed a similar problem, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today. CDC scientists from the group spelled out the warning today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). In their analysis of measles activity from January 1, 2020, to March 28, 2024, they said cases in the first quarter of 2024 have risen 17-fold compared to the mean first-quarter average from 2020 to 2023. (Schnirring, 4/11)
AP:
US Measles Cases Are Up In 2024. What's Driving The Increase?
Nationwide, measles cases already are nearly double the total for all of last year. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention documented 113 cases as of April 5. There have been seven outbreaks and most of U.S. cases — 73% — are linked to those flare-ups. Still, the count is lower than some recent years: 2014 saw 667 cases and 2019 had 1,274. The 2019 measles epidemic was the worst in almost three decades, and threatened the United States’ status as a country that has eliminated measles by stopping the continual spread of the measles virus. (Shastri and Stobbe, 4/11)
On bird flu —
CNN:
Avian Flu: What To Know About The Bird Flu Outbreak In The US, According To A Doctor
A worker on a dairy farm in Texas tested positive for the avian flu, only the second case of a person in the United States who has contracted the H5N1 influenza strain. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the person was diagnosed with the H5N1 virus and was recovering with mild symptoms. (Hetter, 4/11)
NPR:
What Bird Flu's Spread Among Dairy Cattle Tells Us About Its Risk To Humans
The outbreak of bird flu in dairy cattle is still unfolding. Both North Carolina and South Dakota have detected the virus in dairy herds, bringing the total number of states affected to eight. The unlikely spread among cattle and one dairy worker has scientists looking through the data to better understand this spillover. They say the risk to humans hinges on whether the virus can evolve in key ways to better infect mammals. (Stone, 4/11)
Reuters:
Bird Flu Pushes US Dairy Farmers To Ban Visitors, Chop Trees
Dairy farmers in the United States are raising their defenses to try to contain the spread of bird flu: banning visitors, cutting down trees to discourage wild birds from landing, and disinfecting vehicles coming onto their land. While the first cases appear to have been introduced to herds in Texas and Kansas by wild birds, the USDA said transmission among cattle was also possible. Agricultural officials in Michigan and Ohio said infected herds in those states received cattle from Texas.
Reuters spoke to seven dairy farmers in five states who said they are reinforcing safety and cleaning procedures, with three producers exceeding government recommendations. (Polansek, 4/11)
On data sharing —
Roll Call:
CDC Moves Forward On Data-Sharing — Without Congress
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s mpox outbreak, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen is updating the agency’s data-sharing strategy for the next two years — with a focus on what the agency can do without congressional help. (Cohen, 4/11)
