United States: More than 1,100 measles cases have surged across the United States this year, creating invisible hazards for people not just in medical waiting rooms, but also in high-traffic spaces like Shakira’s concert in New Jersey, a mall in Minnesota, a Buc-ee’s in Texas, and terminals of major airports.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautioned in an updated advisory that measles transmission thrives in travel-related corridors — bustling airports, packed trains, noisy tourist spots, and gatherings that pull in throngs of people. Infected passengers, even with no obvious symptoms, often bring the virus back to their hometowns, igniting chain reactions in communities with low immunity.
For many Americans, such outbreaks feel alien. Measles had been declared eliminated from US soil in 2000 — thanks to meticulous immunization efforts. That year saw only 85 infections, all linked to international exposure. But this year, at least 1,157 infections have been recorded, per a CNN count drawing from state health departments — the highest number since 2019’s 1,274-case tally.
The lion’s share of this year’s cases have emerged from a sweeping, multi-state flare-up rooted in West Texas. While health officials report signs of tapering in that region, concerns are growing that the flood of summer travel could scatter the virus even further, warned Lori Tremmel Freeman, head of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
