While the general public still largely perceives it a harmless childhood disease, Measles
has regained the nationwide attention of public health officials. The Center for Disease Control
announced the most recent total (4/3/25) stands at 607 confirmed cases, spread over 21 states.
Potential exposures-as well as actual cases-have come under as much scrutiny as Covid and is
considered just as deadly.
DC health officials were alerted March 22nd , when a MedStar Urgent Care unit received a
confirmed case. While no details have been disclosed, the male patient had reportedly traveled
on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional as early as the 19 th . Media outlets alerted the public to warn
those who might have been in contact with the individual, though no new cases have been
reported.
What made this case particularly important was that it is considered a “breakthrough
infection,” where the individual contracted Measles even though he was vaccinated against it.
“Breakthrough infection” can occur if the individual doesn’t develop a strong enough immune
response, if initial immunity weakens over time or if the pathogen mutates enough to overcome
vaccine-induced immunity.
During the same week, three separate cases were reported in Erie County, PA. While two
cases were adults who had travelled abroad and had limited contact with other people, the third
was a male child who was in contact with numerous other children at a child care facility (25th –
27th) and a UPMC heath care unit (28th). Officials are very concerned the child may have exposed
the virus to infants too young to have received their vaccinations. No further information has
been released on these cases.
The greatest threat posed by Measles is its capacity to undermine the overall health of
infected individuals. Between 2015 and 2019, research netted significant advancements
understanding what it had been calling “Measles Immune Amnesia.” Researchers at Harvard
Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital developed a diagnostic tool called VirScan
in 2019, with which they discovered how Measles destroys certain cells, actually erasing a
individual’s immunity.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html
