INDIANAPOLIS — The CDC is keeping its eye on a measles outbreak that covers at least 21 states, including Indiana.
The health agency says 107 people have come down with measles so far this year. A total of 120 measles cases were reported nationwide in 2017.
The number of measles infections this year puts the U.S. on pace for the worst measles outbreak since 2014, when nearly 700 people got sick.
Measles is an airborne virus that spreads through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms usually show up 10 to 14 days after a person is exposed and last for seven to 10 days.
Symptoms include:
- High Fever
- Cough
- Runny Nose
- Red Eyes
- Rash that begins on the face and spreads to the rest of the body
The CDC says most people who get measles in the U.S. did not receive the Mumps – Measles – Rubella vaccine.
Measles is still common in many parts of the world including some countries in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. Travelers often bring the disease with them to the U.S., where it spreads in areas where groups of people are unvaccinated.
Other states being monitored by the CDC include California, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas.
(Photo by s-dmit/iStock/Getty.)
