Measles Cases on the Rise: 2013 may be the Worst Year for Virus in the U.S.

Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 2013 may be the worst year for measles cases that the United States has seen in 17 years. In fact, this number shows an alarmingly high rate of measles within the nation that may be attributed to the parents who are starting to refuse the vaccine for their children.

The CDC reports that from January 1 to August 24, there were a record number of 159 measles cases. As there is a quarter of the year left, experts believe that the number of cases will continue to rise, and if this number continues to increase, this year may have more measles cases than 1996 when 500 cases were accounted for.

The Mayo Clinic notes that measles is a childhood infection caused by a virus, with symptoms including cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever and a red, blotchy skin rash.

And though a common vaccine can prevent this health problem, the growing number of measles cases could be a future problem for the United States as many parents are wary of getting the vaccine for their children.

"This is very bad. This is horrible," Dr. Buddy Creech said via CNN, a pediatric infectious disease expert from Vanderbilt University. "The complications of measles are not to be toyed with, and they're not altogether rare."

Statistics from the CDC show that one in three of every 1,000 American kids who get infected with the disease die from measles even after receiving proper medical treatment. As of 2011, around 40 percent of children under 5-years-old who were infected with measles had to be treated in the hospital. Due to the fact that measles is no longer considered a common illness in the United States, many are worried about the lack of information regarding the health issue, including doctors and patients who may be unaware of various problems.

"Many young pediatricians might not know what measles look like," Creech added, via the news organization. 

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