Containing a measles outbreak that produced 100 confirmed cases in New Mexico cost close to $5.4 million, according to a peer-reviewed analysis that puts a price on work most people never see.
The figure works out to $53,522 per confirmed case, or $1,817 per contact, and it covers far more than treating patients. The cost analysis published in Annals of Internal Medicine accounted for medical care, the full public health response, and lost productivity across 100 patients, 205 exposed contacts, and 133 public health responders.
