New York accounts for 82 percent of growing measles outbreak

Measles vaccine
Photo credit Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The CDC has provided an update on the measles outbreak and it does not look good for New York.

It found that this year's count of measles cases has reached 839 -- that's the most since 1994, when 963 were reported for the entire year.

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In all, 23 states have reported cases this year including New York where the vast majority of illnesses are among unvaccinated people from Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and Rockland County. New York accounts for 82 percent of cases nationwide.

There have also been a number of cases reported in New Jersey with over a dozen confirmed in Ocean County along with exposure risks in Monmouth and Middlesex counties.

Measles causes a runny nose, fever, cough, and rash, but complications including pneumonia and swelling of the brain are also possible.

The CDC says one out of every 1,000 children who get measles will die from it.

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