A Measles outbreak is underway in Minnesota. As of 03/30/11 there have been 14 cases, 11 unvaccinated and 3 unknonwn, of the disease, as reported by the Department of Health of Minnesota.
Situation Update (3/30/11)
There have been 14 confirmed cases of measles reported in Minnesota. Thirteen of the cases have been linked to a case that acquired infection in Kenya and one case acquired infection in Florida. Cases have ranged in age from 4 months to 51 years old. Five of the cases were too young to receive vaccine, six were of age but were not vaccinated, and three have unknown vaccine status. There have been eight hospitalizations and no deaths.
The outbreak started with an unvaccinated child traveling to Kenya where he/she picked up the disease. That child ended up being the cause of infection in 12 other people. In related news, 2 measles cases have been reported in NYC and 1 in California, all in people traveling to foreign countries. All this goes to prove what we in the pro-health community have been saying all along: these diseases might appear to have disappeared, but they’re only one plane ride away.
And, just in case 14 cases doesn’t sound much to someone, consider this: Minnesota has seen a total of 14 cases for the period 1999-2010. That’s right, in one quarter in 2011 they’ve seen as many cases as they’ve seen in the 12 previous years, combined.
