A multistate measles outbreak, predominantly affecting members of close-knit communities with low measles vaccination coverage in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas began in January 2025. As of April 17, a total of 800 cases have been reported in the United States in 2025; 654 (82%) cases in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas have been associated with the ongoing outbreak. These cases represent an approximately 180% increase over the 285 measles cases reported in the United States during all of 2024, and the second highest annual case count in the United States in 25 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOn April 24, 2023, the American Samoa Department of Health (ASDoH) declared a public health emergency amid concern about a possible measles outbreak given low 2-dose vaccination coverage at the time. ASDoH had received two positive measles immunoglobulin (Ig) M test results after Flag Day festivities 1 week earlier from vaccinated children. ASDoH performed active case finding, took actions to mitigate transmission, and requested technical assistance from CDC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOpen Forum Infect Dis
September 2024
Background: Despite high vaccine effectiveness, wild-type measles can occur in previously vaccinated persons. We compared the clinical presentation and disease severity of measles by vaccination status and age in the postelimination era in the United States.
Methods: We included U.
Am J Prev Med
December 2024
Introduction: Testing for immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella should include only immunoglobulin G (IgG); immunoglobulin M (IgM) testing is appropriate only if acute illness is suspected. The appropriateness of measles, mumps, and rubella IgM testing was evaluated in a national administrative dataset.
Methods: Laboratory testing for measles, mumps, and rubella during 2019-2022 was analyzed in 2024 using HealthVerity administrative claims and laboratory data.
Measles and rubella are vaccine-preventable viral diseases and can be prevented by safe, highly effective vaccination with measles- and rubella-containing vaccines. Given the myriad causes of febrile exanthems, laboratory surveillance for both measles and rubella is important to document the incidence of these diseases and to track the progress and maintenance of elimination in near- and post-elimination settings. Diagnostic challenges can hinder effective surveillance and classification challenges can hinder efforts to demonstrate achievement or maintenance of elimination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) are underrepresented in public health and clinical research. Study methods that can improve participation by this group are needed.
Methods: In late 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted an mpox serological survey using venipuncture among PEH in San Francisco, California.
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
May 2024
Measles, a highly contagious respiratory virus with the potential to cause severe complications, hospitalization, and death, was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000; however, with ongoing global transmission, infections in the United States still occur. On March 7, 2024, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed a case of measles in a male aged 1 year residing in a temporary shelter for migrants in Chicago. Given the congregate nature of the setting, high transmissibility of measles, and low measles vaccination coverage among shelter residents, measles virus had the potential to spread rapidly among approximately 2,100 presumed exposed shelter residents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMeasles is a highly infectious febrile rash illness and was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. However, measles importations continue to occur, and U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the United States, there is currently no system to track donated human tissue products to individual recipients. This posed a challenge during an investigation of a nationwide tuberculosis outbreak that occurred when bone allograft contaminated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Lot A) was implanted into 113 patients in 18 US states, including 2 patients at 1 health care facility in Colorado. A third patient at the same facility developed spinal tuberculosis with an isolate genetically identical to the Lot A outbreak strain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA systematic approach to contact investigations has long been a cornerstone of interrupting the transmission of tuberculosis in community settings. This paper describes the implementation of a systematic 10-step contact investigation within an acute care setting during a multistate outbreak of healthcare-associated tuberculosis. A systematic approach to contact investigations might have applicability to the prevention of other communicable infections within healthcare settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA nationwide tuberculosis outbreak linked to a viable bone allograft product contaminated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis was identified in June 2021. Our subsequent investigation identified 73 healthcare personnel with new latent tuberculosis infection following exposure to the contaminated product, product recipients, surgical instruments, or medical waste.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmerg Infect Dis
December 2022
We report 2 immunocompetent and otherwise healthy adults in the United States who had monkeypox and required hospitalization for viral myocarditis. Both patients were unvaccinated against orthopoxviruses. They had shortness of breath or chest pain and elevated cardiac biomarkers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
August 2022
Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission through solid organ transplantation has been well described, but transmission through transplanted tissues is rare. We investigated a tuberculosis outbreak in the USA linked to a bone graft product containing live cells derived from a single deceased donor.
Methods: In this outbreak report, we describe the management and severity of the outbreak and identify opportunities to improve tissue transplant safety in the USA.
During 1993-2019, the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States decreased steadily; however, during the later years of that period the annual rate of decline slowed (1) until 2020 when a substantial decline (19.9%) was observed. This sharp decrease in TB incidence might have been related to multiple factors coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, including delayed or missed TB diagnoses or a true reduction in TB incidence related to pandemic mitigation efforts and changes in immigration and travel (2).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: There is clinical equipoise for COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) use in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of CCP compared with placebo in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receiving noninvasive supplemental oxygen.
Design, Setting, And Participants: CONTAIN COVID-19, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of CCP in hospitalized adults with COVID-19, was conducted at 21 US hospitals from April 17, 2020, to March 15, 2021.
Background: Despite evidence of socio-demographic disparities in outcomes of COVID-19, little is known about characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients admitted to public hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Objective: To assess demographics, comorbid conditions, and clinical factors associated with critical illness and mortality among patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at a public hospital in New York City (NYC) during the first month of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Design: Retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted to NYC Health + Hospitals / Bellevue Hospital from March 9th to April 8th, 2020.