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Six confirmed measles cases, 14 presumed infected across upstate NY
WXXI News • • health
Key Points:
- Four upstate New York counties—Steuben, Seneca, Madison, and Allegany—have reported recent measles cases, with Allegany County confirming three infections and 14 presumed cases linked to horse auction events and travel through Ohio and Pennsylvania.
- Erie County also reported two measles cases earlier in June, highlighting a broader regional resurgence amid declining vaccination rates.
- Measles, a highly contagious virus with a 90% or higher transmission rate among unvaccinated individuals exposed in close proximity, poses severe health risks including serious illness and death.
- The CDC declared measles eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, but increasing vaccine exemptions—now over 4% for nonmedical reasons among kindergarteners—are threatening this status.
- Health experts warn that complacency due to the virus’s previous rarity is contributing to lower vaccination rates, risking outbreaks that endanger vulnerable populations unable to be vaccinated.
