Multiple counties in upstate New York have reported measles cases in the past week.
A total of four unvaccinated residents in Tioga, Steuben and Otsego counties have been infected by the virus. Cases have also cropped up in Seneca, Madison and Allegheny Counties.
Measles is one of the most contagious viral illnesses, but also one of the most preventable, according to Eli Finkelstein, an infectious disease specialist at Cayuga Health.
“We know how to stop the progression of the disease and the progression of outbreaks,” Finkelstein said. “We do that through high vaccination rates, to rapid identification of cases, and limiting unnecessary exposures.”
Although Onondaga County has no reported cases yet, the New York State Immunization Information System shows some zip codes in the county have vaccination rates under 80 percent. The CDC says outbreaks can happen in any community with a vaccination rate below 95 percent.
