The economic burden of sixteen measles outbreaks on United States public health departments in 2011.

•Since elimination of indigenous measles from the US in 2000 relatively low numbers of measles cases per year had been reported.•However in 2011 a marked increase in import-associated measles cases and outbreaks were reported.•Outbreaks impact on public health departments is unknown.•The response to sixteen measles outbreaks in 2011 had a sizable economic impact on US local and state health departments.•Such impact is compounded not only by the number of cases but also by the outbreak duration and the number of investigated contacts.