Surveillance Summary
Measles -- United States, First 26 Weeks, 1982
A total of 895 measles cases were reported in the United States
during the first 26 weeks of 1982, a record low for the first 6
months
of any year and a decrease of 60.6% from the 2,270 cases reported
during the same period last year. Fewer than 100 measles cases in
any
1 week were reported for the first 26 weeks of 1982, and record low
numbers of cases were reported for 25 of those weeks. Fewer than
100
cases of measles per week have now been reported for 55 consecutive
weeks.
As in previous years, incidence of reported measles peaked in
late
spring (Figure 1). However, the peak was considerably lower than
in
1980 and 1981, years in which measles incidence had already
declined
to record lows.
The overall incidence for the United States during the first 26
weeks of 1982 was 0.4/l00,000 total population. Only two states
reported measles incidences of greater than or equal to 1/100,000.
In contrast, seven states in 198l and 30 states in 1980 reported
such
rates for the first 26 weeks. The highest measles incidence in the
first 26 weeks of 1982 was reported from California (2.27
cases/100,000 population), followed by Kansas (1.51), New York
(0.78),
Washington (0.59), and Michigan (0.42). Twenty-three states
reported
no measles cases, as compared with 13 states in 1981 and five in
1980. To date 47 states have reported no measles for at least 4
consecutive weeks. By contrast, 44 states in 1981 and 31 states in
1980 were free of reported measles for at least 4 consecutive
weeks.
During the first 26 weeks of 1982, a provisional total of 137
(4.4%)
of the nation's 3,144 counties reported measles (Figure 2),
compared
with a provisional total of 247 (7.9%) counties during the same
period
in 1981.
A provisional total of 64 cases of imported measles* were
reported
to CDC during the first 26 weeks of 1982, an average of 2.5 cases
per
week. Twelve of these 64 imported cases led to an additional 164
cases within the United States. Measles importations and
importation-related cases accounted for 25.5% of the total cases
reported. Of the 64 measles importations, 42 (65.6%) involved U.S.
citizens.
Reported by: Immunization Div, Center for Prevention Svcs, CDC.
*A case is considered to be imported if a person has onset of rash
less than or equal to 18 days after arriving in the United States
from
a foreign country and has no other apparent source of infection.
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