U.S. records 19 new cases of measles as of last week

[September 03, 2019]  (Reuters) - The United States recorded 19 new measles cases last week, taking the total cases for the year to 1,234 across 31 states in the worst outbreak since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday.

More than 75% of the cases this year are linked to outbreaks in New York, with the majority of cases among people who were not vaccinated against measles, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. (http://bit.ly/32pSROi)

CDC officials have warned the country risks losing its measles elimination status if the outbreak, which began in October 2018 in New York state, continues until October 2019.

The disease was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning there was no continuous transmission of the disease for a year. Still, cases of the virus occur and spread via travelers coming from countries where measles is common.

(Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by David Gregorio and Nick Zieminski)

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