The number of U.S. measles cases through the first three months of this year have surpassed the count for all of 2018, health officials say.

There have been 387 cases through March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday. There were 372 last year.

The numbers are preliminary, and may change. But the 2019 tally is already the most since 2014, when 667 were reported.

For most people, measles is miserable but not life-threatening. The most common symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, and a rash all over the body.

However, a very small fraction of people get much sicker, and can suffer complications like pneumonia and swelling of the brain. Also, measles can cause pregnant women to deliver prematurely.

There have been three measles-related deaths reported in the U.S. since 2000, including two in 2003 and one in 2015.

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