As measles cases in the United States reach their highest level in 35 years, doctors on the front lines are describing frightened young patients and a healthcare system struggling to keep up, according to Daily Kos.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced record numbers of measles cases this year, the Washington Post reports. The BBC confirms that the US is now seeing the most measles infections in over three decades. The New York Times links the surge to waning vaccination rates.
Daily Kos reports that physicians caring for infected children describe patients who are terrified by the severity of the illness. The news outlet quotes doctors who say the disease is hitting children hard, with symptoms that cause significant distress. The report highlights the human cost behind the statistics, as medical staff work to treat a preventable disease that has made a major comeback.
WIRED notes that measles has become so common that the development of treatments may soon become necessary, a shift from the previous focus on prevention through vaccination. The combination of rising case numbers and falling immunization rates has created conditions for the virus to spread widely, experts cited by multiple outlets say.
The current outbreak marks a stark reversal for a disease that was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. Health officials continue to monitor the situation as cases climb.
