The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday tallied the highest number of US measles cases since the disease was declared eliminated a quarter-century ago, just as a key Senate committee split the vote to advance President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the public health agency.

There have now been more measles cases in 2025 than in any other year since the contagious virus was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention count, updated Wednesday, is 14 more cases than in all of 2019, when the U.S. almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. There've been three deaths in the U.S. this year, and all were unvaccinated: two elementary school-aged children in West Texas and an adult in New Mexico.

News of the case was first shared by the South Carolina Department of Health, which said the person was exposed to the virus on an international trip.

Measles was considered eradicated in the United States in 2000. For the first time in 25 years, cases have reached a new high.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U.S. is currently experiencing its worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years, according to the Associated Press. On Wednesday, the CDC said the 2025 case count has surpassed the 2019 count, when there were 1,274 cases for the year.

Measles cases are on the rise here in the United States. The country reached an all-time high of case numbers since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.

By Sriparna Roy and Siddhi Mahatole (Reuters) -Confirmed measles cases in the U.S. reached 1,288, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Wednesday, the highest number since 1992.