Measles Cases Spike in US, Global Action Needed Says CDC

Measles cases spiked in the United States during 2013, nearly tripling from the previous annual average of 60, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned in a new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

While the disease has been officially eliminated from the United States since 2000 - defined by an absence of its continuous transmission for more than 12 months, the study reveals that the disease continues to be imported from abroad.

"There may be a misconception that infectious diseases are over in the industrialized world," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said in a statement. "But in fact, infectious diseases continue to be, and will always be, with us."

It's been 50 years since the approval of an effective measles vaccine. Nevertheless, the agency estimates that more than 158,000 died from the disease in 2011 alone.

"A measles outbreak anywhere is a risk everywhere," Frieden said. "The steady arrival of measles in the United States is a constant reminder that deadly diseases are testing our health security every day."

By working to eliminate measles beyond the United States' borders, health officials are working to help stay the tide of other diseases as well, he added.

"Someday," Frieden said, "it won't be only measles at the international arrival gate; so, detecting diseases before they arrive is a wise investment in US health security."

For this reason, the CDC and its partners are working to build a "global health security infrastructure" that can be used to combat several emerging health issues simultaneously.

"Currently, only 1 in 5 countries can rapidly detect, respond to, or prevent global health threats caused by emerging infections," Frieden said. "Improvements overseas, such as strengthening surveillance and lab systems, training disease detectives, and building facilities to investigate disease outbreaks make the world - and the United States - more secure."