Public health officials are warning of measles exposure as the disease spreads on a global scale. At least 46 children have died in Bangladesh, with about 684 measles cases confirmed in the country since late January, according to Reuters.

Government officials recently announced deaths linked to measles after laboratory testing of 33 samples. "Of the tested samples, 15 deaths ⁠have been directly linked to measles infection," said Health Services Division Secretary Kamruzzaman Chowdhury in a statement.

Bangladesh has modified its vaccine schedule after health officials found a significant share of measles cases were occurring in infants younger than 9 months, who are not yet eligible for routine vaccination, according to local reports.

In the U.S., as of March 26, 1,575 confirmed measles cases had been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been 16 new outbreaks reported this year, with 94% of confirmed cases deemed outbreak-associated, per the CDC.

The agency attributes the spike in measles activity to a trend of lower "herd immunity" in communities — meaning vaccination rates have fallen below the roughly 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks.

SOURCE: FoxNews