U.S. measles cases top 1,000, raising fears of resurgence
REUTERS/SEBASTIAN ROCANDIO/FILE PHOTO
A sign reading “measles testing” is seen as an outbreak in Gaines County, Texas, has raised concerns over its spread to other parts of the state, in Seminole, Texas, on Feb. 25. Cases of measles in the U.S. have crossed the 1,000 mark for the first time in five years, federal data showed today.
Cases of measles in the U.S. have crossed the 1,000 mark for the first time in five years, federal data showed today.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,001 cases of the disease in 31 jurisdictions as of Thursday.
The CDC count does not reflect the latest data from Texas, where cases have increased by seven to a total of 709.
Texas is the epicenter of the current measles outbreak in the country.
There have been 14 outbreaks, defined as three or more related cases, reported in 2025, the CDC said.
Researchers have warned that the U.S. is at a tipping point for the return of endemic measles, a quarter century after the disease was declared eradicated in the country.
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Infections have since only ever crossed the 1,000 mark in 2019, when the country reported 1,274 cases.
The outbreak in Texas, which has led to the deaths of two children and hundreds more being infected, is centered in a Mennonite community and has spread to neighboring states including New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas.
The CDC said 13% of those infected with the disease this year have been hospitalized. There have been three confirmed deaths so far.
Lack of forceful advocacy for vaccination from government health officials and statements on unproven treatments are hampering the fight against rising cases of measles nationwide, according to pediatricians and infectious disease experts.
