Houston, 16 April (IANS). 561 measles cases were reported in the US second largest state of Texas. Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) gave this information.
DSHS said that 20 new cases were registered in the last five days. Along with this, 58 patients suffering from measles have been admitted to the hospital so far.
DSHS on Tuesday expressed the possibility that its cases could increase due to excessive infectious disease.
The US Disease Control and Prevention Center said on Friday that 712 measles cases were reported in about 24 states this year. About 97 percent of these cases are those who have not been vaccinated or whose vaccination status is not clear.
According to the Xinhua news agency, Texas’s public health officials warned last month that the outbreak could continue for several months or for the whole year. He said that communities with vaccination levels below average are suffering the most due to this outbreak.
Experts have warned that if the outbreak continues, the United States may lose the status of ‘measles free’ declared in 2000.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), measles is a highly infectious viral disease. It spreads easily due to the infected person breathing, coughing or sneezing. This serious illness can also cause death. Any person can be vulnerable to this disease but it is the most common in children.
The disease infects the breathing system and then spreads throughout the body. If we talk about the symptoms of measles, then it includes high fever, cough, runny nose and grain on the whole body.
The best option is to get a vaccine to get sick from measles or to prevent spreading to other people.
Prior to the onset of measles vaccines in 1963 and extensive vaccination, large epidemics occurred in almost every two to three years and an estimated 2.6 million people died every year.
It is recommended to take two doses of vaccine to ensure immunity and prevent outbreaks, as the first dose does not develop immunity in all children.
-IANS
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