Ohio measles oubreak seems to end with 377 cases

COLUMBUS (AP) — Health officials say the Ohio outbreak that helped push the number of U.S. measles cases to a two-decade high appears to have ended.

The state logged 377 cases of the highly contagious viral respiratory illness in nine counties since March. Nine people were hospitalized.

The end of such an outbreak is measured 42 days after the onset of the most-recent case, a window based on two, 21-day incubation periods. Ohio has passed that mark because the most recent onset date was July 23.

The outbreak started among Amish in Knox County who traveled to the Philippines, which had a measles epidemic.

Meanwhile, Ohio is tracking a separate outbreak of mumps, another contagious viral illness. Over half of the 483 cases reported are linked to Ohio State University.