Measles Outbreaks Threaten North America’s Elimination Status, PAHO Warns

CBS News (3/4, Tin) reports that officials from the United Nation’s Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) warned measles outbreaks in North America may jeopardize the region’s elimination status. The organization “pointed to a 4.5-times increase in reported measles cases this year across North and South America,” with over 97% occurring in the US and Canada. Contributing factors include low vaccination coverage, increased movement of people, and an “uptick in dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection that can mask the spread of measles due to similar symptoms.”