NEW YORK (PIX11) — A highly contagious illness that can cause pneumonia, swelling of the brain, miscarriage, and even death, has been reported in New York City.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can infect up to 90% of unvaccinated people who come in close proximity to an infected person, according to the New York City Department of Health.
In 2024, New York State reported 15 cases, 14 of which were in New York City. The biggest outbreak in New York City over the last decade was in 2019 with 605 confirmed cases.
In addition to the two confirmed cases in New York City, several measles cases were recently reported in New Jersey. In one case, a patient who was unvaccinated traveled outside of the U.S. and became sick with the illness after returning home to New Jersey, according to the state department of health.
Two other unvaccinated people contracted the highly contagious illness from the first patient, the New Jersey health department said.
What is measles?
It’s a respiratory disease caused by one of the world’s most contagious viruses. The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes, or coughs. It most commonly affects kids.
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, and then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes, and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees, according to the CDC.
There’s no specific treatment for measles, but health officials say that people who have had measles once cannot get it again.
How can you prevent measles?
The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners — the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
