Worlds most contagious disease on track for highest US cases in 35 years doc warns: We are allowing it to spread
Measles only needs a small opening — and it got one.For the second year in a row, cases of measles — known as the world’s most infectious disease — will hit record highs, and 2026 is on track to be substantially worse than 2025.In a matter of weeks, we’re likely to blow past last year’s total, hitting the highest number of cases in 35 years.“This is a major public health warning sign,” epidemiologist Dr.
Syra Madad told The Post.“The US is already close to last year’s total with about half the year still ahead.”The total number of measles cases for 2025 was 2,288, the highest since a 1991 outbreak that infected 9,500.
As of June 25, there have been 2,134 confirmed cases this year in the US.That means it’ll take just 155 more cases — a number that could be covered fairly quickly — to beat that record, which was hit in December of last year.“Unless we interrupt transmission quickly, 2026 is likely to surpass 2025 and could do so substantially,” Madad warned.“We should be cautious about making exact projections because outbreaks can slow when vaccination campaigns, isolation, contact tracing and community engagement are effective.But the current pattern is deeply concerning.Last week, someone with measles exposed scores of travelers at LAX to the disease.
In May, New York city officials alerted diners at an Italian restaurant they might’ve been exposed over the course of three hours.Measles spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.It can linger in the air even two hours after the person leaves.Symptoms appear a week or two after a person is exposed.
People may experience a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes.Two to three days later, white spots may appear in the mouth.
Three to five days later, a rash will appear.They’re contagious starting four days before the rash and four days after.There is no cure or antiviral treatment, and two out of every five people with measles end up getting hospi...