US child dies of measles after three decades

BanglaPress Desk: A child has died from measles in the U.S. state of New York. This marks the first death from the disease in the state in over 30 years.

The New York State Department of Health and the Lewis County Public Health Department announced this information on Monday.

They reported that an unvaccinated child from Lewis County has died amid a significant measles outbreak across the state. Due to the rising number of measles infections, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency four weeks ago.

The Governor expressed deep sorrow over the child's death.

In a statement, she said, "As a mother and a grandmother, I cannot even imagine what this family is going through right now. My heartfelt condolences go out to everyone who knew and loved this child."

Governor Kathy Hochul added, "Measles is a highly contagious and dangerous disease. Vaccination is the most effective way to protect against it."

"This is the first death from measles in New York in more than 30 years. It serves as a stark and alarming warning."

Authorities have not disclosed the identity of the child, nor have they provided information regarding the child's age or gender. The last time a measles-related death occurred in New York was between March 1990 and the summer of 1991.

During that period, a major measles outbreak struck New York City, resulting in at least 21 deaths and thousands of infections.

Lewis County, located in the 'North Country'—a rural region in northern New York—has the fourth-highest number of measles cases among the state's counties this year. As of last week, 15 cases had been reported there. Meanwhile, Seneca County has recorded the highest number of cases in the state, with 30 infections reported this year.

According to the Lewis County Public Health Department, none of the 15 individuals diagnosed with measles in the county this year had been vaccinated. Last month, Governor Kathy Hochul issued an emergency executive order to address a measles outbreak. The objective was to facilitate swift action and expand access to the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.

Under this emergency order, nurses are now authorized to order diagnostic tests for measles. Furthermore, state authorities are providing additional support to identify infected individuals, conduct contact tracing, and expedite the confirmation of test results.

Health officials are urging everyone to ensure they have received the required doses of the MMR vaccine. They have also advised that extra health precautions be taken when traveling with unvaccinated children. In a statement, the New York State Department of Health noted, "Measles is a highly contagious disease. It can lead to serious complications and even death. Vaccination is the most effective way to protect against it."

Authorities added that they are providing support to Lewis County to help raise public awareness and conduct local vaccination efforts. The measles virus spreads through the air; it is released when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left a space, posing an infection risk to anyone who is unvaccinated and enters that area.