According to a statistics report published by the CDC, there has been 594 reported and confirmed cases of measles in 22 of America's states since January 1 to September 29, 2014. This figure marks the highest since 2001.
As stated in the CDC report a huge fraction of these reported measles cases involved individuals who are unvaccinated. Also, 22 of the reported cases involved Americans who previously traveled to the Philippines where a Level 1 Measles outbreak has been so recently recorded.
According to the CDC measles is a respiratory disease that is brought on by a viral causative agent - the measles or rubeola virus. It is a contagious disease which can be transmitted in the air.
While immunity against the measles virus often develops after the first infection, some people do not completely develop such immunity. This means those who had measles before along with those whose immunity are not in prime to ward off the virus are an easy target.
Along with the highest recorded measles cases in America this year, the CDC ha also reported a total number of 18 measles outbreak this year. Vaccination rates have a lot to do with the prevalence of the disease such that most of the countries that are currently experiencing high numbers of measles cases are those with low anti-measles vaccination rates.
Statistics have established that measles accounts to 164,000 deaths around the world each year. While this toll is but a small fraction compared to the 20 million cases that are reported and confirmed every year, prevention and elimination is still an alarming concern. This is especially that there are countries where measles is highly prevalent such as India where 50 percent of all worldwide cases are reported from.
The CDC has recently published vaccination guidelines and even prevention guidelines for those who are looking to travel in countries where the prevalence of the disease is high.