Health officials in Washington, D.C., are investigating a potential outbreak of measles linked to several events held in the city in late January and early February, including the National March for Life Rally. The DC Department of Health is alerting individuals who may have been exposed, as the United States grapples with a significant increase in measles cases this year.
The health department announced on , that multiple confirmed cases of measles have been identified in individuals who visited various locations while contagious. These locations include the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on , the National March for Life Rally and Concert on , and several buildings on the Catholic University of America campus on and .
Transit systems are also implicated in the potential spread. Exposure sites include Metro Red and Yellow lines on and , Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on , and the Amtrak concourse at Union Station and Northeast Regional Train 176 on .
A separate case, involving a Virginia resident, was confirmed at the Children’s National Medical Center’s Emergency Department on , between and . The individual was contagious during this time, and their vaccination status remains unconfirmed.
This outbreak occurs as the U.S. Experiences its largest measles outbreak in decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 733 confirmed cases in 20 states so far this year. According to the CDC, the vast majority – 95 percent – of these cases involve individuals who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease, spread through respiratory droplets produced by coughing or sneezing. Symptoms typically begin with a high fever, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and a cough, appearing 7 to 14 days after exposure. This is followed, 3 to 5 days later, by a rash that usually starts on the face and spreads across the body. Individuals are contagious from four days before the rash appears until four days after.
The virus can remain infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area, posing a risk in crowded spaces like airports, and churches. Without the protection of two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, measles can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling), and, in rare cases, blindness. Approximately one in 500 children infected with measles will die annually.
As of , four cases of measles have been confirmed in Virginia, with no cases reported in the District of Columbia itself. However, health officials are urging anyone who was present at the identified locations during the specified dates and times to monitor for symptoms for up to 21 days and contact their healthcare provider if they develop a fever, rash, or other concerning symptoms.
The situation highlights the ongoing vulnerability of the U.S. To measles, a disease that was once considered eliminated from the country. The current outbreak raises concerns about a potential resurgence of the virus and underscores the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates to protect both individuals and communities.
The outbreak in South Carolina is particularly concerning, with 13 new cases reported on , bringing the total to 933 – the largest single measles outbreak in the United States in over thirty years. Currently, 235 people are under quarantine and six are in isolation. While the majority of cases (594) are among children aged five to 17, and another 245 cases are in children under five, the virus is spreading geographically beyond Spartanburg County, with a new confirmed case reported in Lancaster County.
Of the 876 patients in South Carolina with known vaccination details, 859 were unvaccinated, further emphasizing the critical role of vaccination in preventing the spread of this highly contagious disease.
