Public health officials are concerned about a dramatic increase in the number of measles cases across the U.S. Officials say this is the largest outbreak since 2001. A 71-year-old Swiss man visiting Chicago fell ill with the disease last month. It’s the first case of measles in the city in three years. Doctor Julie Morita is a director at the Chicago Department of Public Health. She says the case is typical of what officials have seen in several outbreaks across the country.
MORITA: The trend this year has been for more cases of measles being detected in the United States and many of them are being brought in from places like Switzerland and Israel, which typically haven’t been thought of as high risk areas.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says there were 64 cases of measles in the U.S. between January 1 and April 25. The CDC and Chicago Department of Public Health are advising people to check their immunization status.