Fears US set to lose measles elimination status
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Measles has been spreading in the U.S. for a year, a milestone that could mean the virus can no longer be considered eliminated.
After a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people, the United States is poised to lose its status as a measles-free country. However, the newly appointed principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
A growing measles outbreak in South Carolina has infected more than 600 people since October, with hundreds more being potentially exposed.
As the US looks set to lose its measles elimination status, scientists turn to wastewater tracking to limit outbreaks.
Tuesday marks one year since a measles outbreak started in West Texas, and there have been more new cases in the United States each week since.
It’s unclear whether the United States can keep its designation as a country that officially eliminated the disease.
The U.S. has held its measles-free status for more than 25 years. Experts say unrelenting outbreaks in the past year may change that
South Carolina reports over 500 measles cases, the largest US outbreak in 2026, with Spartanburg County most affected and hundreds quarantined.