First case of measles reported in Maine since 2019

A child in Maine has tested positive for measles, officials say, the first case seen in the state since 2019.

The Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Monday it received a report of a positive lab result for measles in a child who had been vaccinated against the viral illness, and it “considers that the child is infectious among an abundance of warning.”

The age of the child has not been disclosed, although children under 5 and adults over 20 are among those at risk of measles complications.

The state-level CDC is awaiting confirmation from the national CDC and working to notify those potentially exposed in the meantime.

According to the latest available measles data from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, which extends through the end of 2021, measles last appeared in the state in two cases in 2019.

Measles had been declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, “thanks to a very effective vaccination program”, indicates the federal CDC.

As of April 28, 2023, 10 cases of measles have been reported nationwide this year. A measles outbreak was noted in Ohio starting late last year, raise concerns on declining vaccination rates.

The CDC points out that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is the best protection against the highly contagious viral disease.