It is the latest milestone in the ongoing outbreak of a disease that was once thought to be eliminated in the US.

The United States has reached its highest annual measles case tally in 33 years, hitting at least 1,277 confirmed cases across 38 states and the District of Columbia. The milestone marks a public health reversal in defeating a highly contagious,

Measles cases in the U.S. have surged to alarming levels, with over 1,200 confirmed cases this year, according to Johns Hopkins University. While Texas reports the majority, Colorado has seen 16 cases,