Los Angeles: The United States recorded more than 2,000 measles cases in 2025, marking the country’s highest annual total in over three decades, according to the latest data released by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of December 30, health authorities had confirmed 2,065 measles cases nationwide, with around 11 per cent of patients requiring hospitalisation. The infections were reported across 44 US jurisdictions, along with a limited number of cases involving international visitors, the CDC said.

The 2025 figure represents the highest number of measles cases in the United States since 1992, when 2,126 infections were recorded nationwide.

CDC data show that 49 measles outbreaks were reported during the year, with outbreak-linked cases accounting for 88 per cent of all confirmed infections. Children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 formed the largest affected group, representing approximately 42 per cent of total cases.

Three measles-related deaths were confirmed in the US in 2025, according to reports.

Measles was officially declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, a status defined by the CDC as the absence of continuous domestic transmission, with new cases largely linked to international travel. However, public health experts have warned that rising case numbers and repeated outbreaks could threaten this elimination status. Canada lost its measles elimination status in November 2025.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or breathes. It can cause severe illness, complications and, in some cases, death. While anyone can contract measles, it is most common among children.

The virus initially infects the respiratory tract before spreading throughout the body. Common symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a widespread skin rash. Early symptoms typically appear 10 to 14 days after exposure and may include small white spots inside the cheeks.

The characteristic rash usually develops seven to 18 days after exposure, starting on the face and upper neck before spreading to the rest of the body. It typically lasts five to six days before fading.

Health experts stress that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles infection and transmission. The measles vaccine is considered safe and provides strong protection against the virus.

Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963 and the expansion of immunisation programmes, major epidemics occurred every two to three years, causing an estimated 2.6 million deaths annually worldwide. Despite the availability of a safe and cost-effective vaccine, an estimated 107,500 people, mostly children under the age of five, died from measles globally in 2023.

IANS