The World Health Organization says the number of measles cases in Europe jumped sharply during the first six months of 2018. At least 37 people have died. 
 
 The U.N. agency's European office said Monday more than 41,000 measles cases were reported in the region during the first half of the year. That's more than in any 12-month period so far this decade. 
 
 The previous highest annual total was 23,927 cases in 2017. A year earlier, only 5,273 cases were reported. 
 
 "We are seeing a dramatic increase in infections and extended outbreaks," Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO regional director for Europe, said in a statement. "We call on all countries to immediately implement broad, context-appropriate measures to stop further spread of this disease. Good health for all starts with immunization." 
 
 Measles was virtually eliminated in the U.S. after the vaccine became widely available in the 1960s, but outbreaks have flared in recent years — often sparked by a case picked up overseas. The illness is highly contagious and can spread rapidly among people who didn't get the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Babies too young for the vaccine are especially at risk. 
 
 Symptoms of measles may include rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. In rare cases, complications can be life-threatening. 
 
 The World Health Organization said half the cases in Europe so far this year — about 23,000 — occurred in Ukraine. France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Russia and Serbia also had more than 1,000 infections each. 
 
 The agency called for better surveillance and increased immunization rates to prevent the disease from becoming endemic. 

 Story highlights The CDC received more than 100 reports of measles between January 1 and July 14 
 
 Most of the people who got measles had not been vaccinated 
 
 (CNN) More than 100 cases of measles have been diagnosed this year in 21 states and the District of Columbia, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday. 
 
 Measles is a contagious virus that spreads through the air via coughing and sneezing. Symptoms such as high fever, rash all over the body, stuffy nose and reddened eyes typically disappear without treatment within two or three weeks. Yet one or two out of every 1,000 children who get measles will die from complications , according to the CDC. 
 
 From January 1 through July 14, the CDC recorded 107 measles patients living in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and the District of Columbia. 
 
 The CDC's 2018 midyear measles report appears high in comparison with recent years. In all of 2017, for example, 118 people from 15 states and DC had measles. In 2016, 86 people from 19 states had measles. 
 
 However, 2014 saw a record number of measles cases in the United States; 667 cases in 27 states were reported to the CDC. Of those, 338 were connected to a single large outbreak . The total number of cases that year is the highest number since measles elimination was declared in the US in 2000. Measles elimination is defined as the absence of continuous transmission for 12 months or more in a specific geographic area.
– Some not-great news out of the World Health Organization regarding one of the most contagious viruses around. Per the BBC, a record number of measles patients has been recorded in the European Union, with last year's nearly 24,000 cases being surpassed by this year's 41,000 figure. In 2016, fewer than 6,000 people in the EU were reported to have come down with the infectious disease. The outbreak has led to at least 37 deaths, the BBC and CBS News report. Ukraine and Serbia claim the highest measles rates across the EU, with Ukraine at more than 23,000 cases so far this year, per Bloomberg. The cause for the spike, experts say: fewer people getting their immunizations. A doctor calls the number of cases "astounding," telling the BBC that "with a vaccine-preventable disease, one case is one too many." Meanwhile, in the US, the CDC listed 107 measles cases across 21 states and Washington, DC, through July 14, CNN notes. In all of 2017, 118 cases were reported across 15 states and DC, while 86 cases in 19 states were noted in 2016.