U.S. measles cases at its highest since elimination in 2000: CDC

An illustration provides a 3D graphical representation of a spherical-shaped, measles virus particle studded with glycoprotein tubercles in this handout image obtained by Reuters April 9, 2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) - The United States has recorded 695 measles cases from 22 states as of April 24, the largest number of cases reported in the country since measles was eliminated in 2000, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

The high number of cases in 2019 was primarily the result of a few large outbreaks – one in Washington State and two in New York that started in late 2018, the agency said.

(Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)