The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a recent health advisory in response to the increasing number of measles outbreaks in the United States.

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., professor of laboratory medicine and pathology and clinical virologist at Mayo Clinic, to discuss why measles is in the news again and how we can prevent measles outbreaks.

Specific topics of discussion include:

• The symptoms, characteristics, and complications of the measles virus.
• The recent rise in measles cases and outbreaks being reported across the United States.
• The importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of the highly contagious virus.
• Why the measles laboratory test was eventually developed, and testing options available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories.