2019 Might Be the Worst Year for Measles in Nearly Three Decades

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 228 individual cases of measles in 12 states since Jan. 1, the highest year-to-date number in more than 25 years. As of March 7, the states that have reported cases to the CDC are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington, CDC data shows. The number of new measles cases in January and February already exceeds the annual totals of all but three years since 2000 when the disease was declared eliminated, the Washington Post reports. Yet the high number of cases so far this year does not necessarily mean 2019 will hit a record high. According to the Washington Post, there were 154 cases in the first two months of 2015 yet only 34 cases for the remainder of the year. The ongoing outbreaks in New York, Illinois, and Texas have been linked to travelers who brought measles back from other countries, the CDC says.