Measles Outbreak In California: Possibly Largest Yet

Twenty-one cases of measles infections have been identified in Orange County, California by public health officials, hinting the possibility of the largest outbreak of measles seen in the United States this year.

According to Orange Country officials, the number of identified cases of measles has spiked in the last few weeks, bringing the grand total to 21 since February. This tally is at least two times larger than any other tally of reported measles cases in other California county this year. Public health officials met in an emergency session to discuss this alarming revelation earlier this week.

Of all continental U.S. states, California was reportedly boasting the highest total number of isolated measles cases, with 32 confirmed cases as of March 14.

With measles declared virtually eliminated in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) soon after the measles-mumps-rubella {MMR) childhood immunization program was launched, the virus has little hold in the country for outbreaks and continued spread. CDC and California Department of Public Health officials have previously declared that almost all reported cases of infection have been associated with unvaccinated citizens who traveled to countries where the virus is more prevalent, such as India and the Philippines, which are both in the midst of large-scale outbreaks.

Orange County officials initially reported three suspected cases of Measles in February, but since then has reported an increasing number of cases which was accepted as part of a pattern of an overall increase in the number of isolated cases seen across California.

These latest reports, however, indicate that a large portion of recent Orange County cases of infection could be associated with an outbreak -- when the virus spreads from an original source to be passed from person to person. It remains unclear exactly how many cases can be associated with the outbreak.

Measles, spread through sneezing and coughing, is highly contagious. Symptoms include red and watery eyes, a body-covering rash, and severe fever. The disease is particularly dangerous to children and pregnant women. According to the CDC, during the last year alone, 159 unvaccinated people in the U.S. were reported to have contracted the Virus.

New York City also recently experienced an outbreak of Measles, identifying 16 cases of viral infection.

Canada is also reporting outbreaks of the virus on a larger scale, as the country is the home to many citizens who refuse to vaccinate their children for religious reasons.

The latest measles numbers in Orange County were reported on March 26.