There are currently over 100 reported cases of measles in the U.S. This chart roundup will give you a closer look at what that really means.
The highly contagious virus was initially reported in at least 40 people who were at Disneyland in mid-December, reports the California Department of Public Health.
Since then, the virus has been spreading across the country, bringing the total number of cases to over 120. Here, we've rounded up nine charts that will help you better understand the current outbreak — including why it's happening, where it's happening, and more.
This map shows the states currently affected by the measles outbreak.
Note: The map was created yesterday (February 4), but is already out of date, due to the news of five additional measles cases reported in a Chicago daycare center today.
BuzzFeed News / Via buzzfeed.com
Here, we can see the number of measles cases reported each year since 2001.
In 2000, measles was actually declared "eliminated" in the U.S., which means the absence of continuous disease transmission for a full year, according to the CDC. This doesn't mean that no measles cases were reported, but the disease was no longer constantly present in the U.S.
Unfortunately, measles cases appear to be increasing again in recent years, which is likely due in part to the growing number of people who are choosing not to vaccinate their children.
CDC / Via cdc.gov
This GIF shows how the growing number of unvaccinated individuals can affect how easily measles can be spread throughout a community.
When too many people choose not to vaccinate, it can damage the herd immunity, which refers to the protective effect that occurs when enough people in a community are vaccinated against a disease. This means that even the handful of people who are not vaccinated are protected since the diseases are well contained.
If too many people in a given community are not vaccinated, the herd immunity will disappear, and the virus will spread more freely.
Alice Mongkongllite for BuzzFeed / Via buzzfeed.com
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