Last week we told you about a serious uptick in cases of West Nile virus across the country. Now health officials from coast to coast are warning that cases of measles are on the rise. Twenty-one states have reported 118 cases, to date, this year—a pace that would result in the highest number of cases in 3 years if it continues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It may be beneficial to inform patients that the majority of those cases reflect patients who have not been vaccinated against measles—followed by a reminder that you’ll be happy to remedy that situation before they get sick and put those around them at risk. So far, cases have been confirmed in
Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia.
Image courtesy of CDC/ Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr.