The measles epidemic in the United States is attracting great attention from the health department. The latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States stated that as of April 3, the total number of measles cases in the United States has reached 607, more than double the 285 cases in the same period last year. The number of cases increases by more than 100 cases every week.

According to the report of the Texas Department of State Health Services on April 4, the total number of measles cases in the state has now reached 481, an increase of 59 cases in three days, an increase of 14%; the number of hospitalizations has increased from 42 to 56.

Sapna Singh, chief medical officer of Texas Children's Hospital, said that judging from the current official reported data, measles cases are far from reaching the goal of stable control. According to data from the US CDC, 97% of the infected cases were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.

Measles is an acute rash respiratory infectious disease caused by the measles virus, which is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets and aerosols. Infected people will experience symptoms such as high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, tears, and rash within one to two weeks after exposure to the virus. In severe cases, it can cause complications such as pneumonia and even death. The US CDC said that the best way to prevent measles is to get two doses of measles vaccine.

The World Health Organization previously stated that the source of the measles outbreak in the United States is still unclear. The WHO also said that there is currently no evidence that the effectiveness of the measles vaccine has decreased or that the severity of the disease has increased due to changes in the measles virus.

In my country, March to May each year is also the peak period for measles. The National Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently stated at a press conference on the prevention and control of acute respiratory infectious diseases in spring and summer that the number of reported measles cases in my country this year has also increased compared with the same period last year. It is expected that the number of reported cases in some areas will increase further, but the overall epidemic level will still be low.

Liu Qiyong, chief expert on vector-borne diseases at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that vaccination with measles-containing vaccines and maintaining a high vaccination rate are the most effective measures to block the spread of measles virus and prevent and control measles epidemics. The vaccination rate of children in my country's national immunization program has continued to remain at a high level, and the reported incidence of measles in the country has continued to remain below one in a million in recent years.

He also said: "Since the beginning of this year, due to the global measles epidemic situation, the spread of imported viruses from abroad, and the weak links in the prevention and control work in some regions, the measles epidemic in my country has risen, but the overall epidemic level is still low."

Wang Xinyu, deputy director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, told the First Financial reporter: "Measles is a common infectious disease in children, and measles in adults is relatively rare. The basic reproduction number (R0) of the measles virus is one of the highest among all infectious diseases. Although the mortality rate is not high, it is extremely contagious and once an epidemic breaks out, it will still be fatal. Severe symptoms of measles include pneumonia or encephalitis."

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