New measles infections continue to pop up around the United States, as 17 states have reported at least one case this year. The country has already recorded 45 cases after seeing 58 in all of 2023. The latest outbreak is in Chicago, where 8 people, not vaccinated against the virus, have been diagnosed with measles. Steadily declining vaccination rates as well as misinformation about the virus are fueling its spread. “Some people don’t understand why we get so worried when we see measles cases increasing, and the reason is that even an uncomplicated case of measles is really awful,” explained Dr. Sarah Lim, a medical specialist at the Minnesota Department of Health. One out of every five measles infections sends the person to the hospital. Even when the illness doesn’t warrant hospitalization, it can c ause severe symptoms such as a full-body rash, bad cough and high-grade temperature. In particularly serious instances, patients can suffer complications like pneumonia or brain swelling.
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