The U.S. has seen a decline in the number of cases of disease over the past decade. This is according to reports.

The spread of a disease that U.S. officials had declared eliminated at the beginning of the century has exploded in recent weeks, sending many children to hospitals.

Minimum 82 children in central Ohio have contracted measles over the last two months, with at least 32 needing to be hospitalized due to the severity of the patient’s symptoms. These 82 cases represent a staggering 80% of all measles cases in central Ohio. majority Of the 117 U.S. cases,

All the cases reported Columbus Public Health has involved children under 17 years of age, with most being toddlers or infants.

The increase in cases has occurred decades after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared that it was eliminated from the U.S. in 2000.

“Measles was declared eliminated (absence of continuous disease transmission for greater than 12 months) from the United States in 2000,” The CDC said In a past statement. “This was thanks to a highly effective vaccination program in the United States, as well as better measles control in the Americas region.”

The CDC declares That a disease has been “eliminated,” It means that the disease can be spread to others in a community if it is introduced. The overwhelming majority of people are immune.

The CDC warns measles can be fatal. “serious” It is a common condition that affects many people. “especially for babies and young children.”

“Children younger than 5 years of age and adults older than 20 years of age are more likely to suffer from complications,” The CDC states. “Common complications are ear infections and diarrhea. Serious complications include pneumonia and encephalitis.”

Of the 82 cases reported in Ohio, 74 children were unvaccinated against the disease, four were partially vaccinated, none were fully vaccinated, and four children’s vaccination status was unknown, local health officials said.

“Measles symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus and typically include high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes,” The CDC says. “Measles rash appears 3 to 5 days after the first symptoms.”

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