Measles continues to spread in the United States, with more 704 cases reported so far this year in 22 states.
US health officials update the national tally, which has already eclipsed the total for any full year since 1994, when 963 cases were reported.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this year’s count includes 44 people who caught the disease while traveling in another country. Some of them triggered US outbreaks, mostly among unvaccinated people. That includes the largest outbreaks, in Orthodox Jewish communities in and around New York City.
A sign warns of measles in the Orthodox Jewish community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in New York City, April 10, 2019. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images/via JTA)
Three-quarters of those who caught the extremely contagious disease are children or teenagers.
No deaths have been reported but 66 patients were hospitalized.
Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
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