1st measles case reported in Maine since 2019

(The Hill) — A child in Maine has tested positive for measles, according to officials, the first case noted in the state since 2019. 

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Monday that it received a report of a positive measles lab result in a child who had been vaccinated against the viral disease, and it is “considering the child to be infectious out of an abundance of caution.”

The child’s age was not disclosed, though children under 5 and adults over 20 are among those susceptible to measles complications. 

The state-level CDC is now waiting for confirmation from the national CDC and is working to inform potentially exposed individuals in the meantime. 

According to the latest available measles data from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, which spans up to the end of 2021, measles last appeared in the state in two cases in 2019. 

Measles had been declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, ” thanks to a highly effective vaccination program,” the federal CDC says.

A total of 10 measles cases have been reported in the U.S. as of April 28, it says. In 2019, cases surged to 1,274 across 31 states, the highest count since 1992.

As of April 28, 2023, a total of 10 measles cases have been reported nationwide this year. A measles outbreak was noted in Ohio starting late last year, raising concerns about declining vaccination rates.

The CDC stresses that the measles, mumps, and rubella, or MMR, vaccine is the best protection against the highly contagious viral disease.