United States: The cases linked to measles have now reached Washtenaw County. After reporting the confirmed case, the county health department issued a warning regarding a potential exposure spot at one local emergency department.
According to the reports by mlive.com, the health officials of Washtenaw County have mentioned that the first-ever measles exposure possibly happened on March 1, Friday between 10:30 am and 1:30 pm. The possible venue of the exposure was the waiting and triage areas at Trinity Health Ann Arbor Emergency Department at 5301 McAuley Drive in Ypsilanti.
While addressing the concern regarding the latest case, the local health authorities outlined that the new case does not possess any “ongoing risk of exposure.” Accordingly, the news release was shared on Sunday, March 3, 2024.
The health authorities have outlined that the symptoms of the measles disease generally appear within 7-14 days after exposure, but in some cases, it can also appear up to 21 days after exposure.
The local health authorities have mentioned that the people who were present at the above-mentioned time at the location should receive MMR vaccine – dosage against measles, mumps, and rubella. Accordingly, they have also appealed to the general public, which was present at that time at the venue, to get the vaccine dose within 72 hours or before Monday, March 4, 2024, if they have not received the vaccine.
Measles and the effectiveness of the vaccine against the disease!
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that can spread from an infected person to a healthy person through direct person-to-person contact and through the air. However, the health experts have mentioned that the disease is vaccine-preventable.
The authorities have also mentioned that individuals should carefully watch for potential symptoms for 21 days. A person must consult doctors or should seek urgent care or the emergency room if any of the symptoms develop.
Some of the symptoms of the disease are:
• High fever (over 104˚ Fahrenheit).
• Cough.
• Runny nose.
• Red, watery eyes.
• Tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums, and roof of the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin.
• A rash that is red, raised, blotchy
Measles cases in the US
According to the reports by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has reported as many as 41 cases of measles in around 16 states.
The total count has reached up to 41 from 35 cases in 15 states as of February 22. The case tally was shared by the CDC. The 16th state added to the list was Michigan, according to CDC.
According to the list shared by the federal health agency, the 16 cases of measles are in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.
In 2023, the first-ever measles outbreak was reported in Pennsylvania, with around three infections reported from an outbreak. The measles outbreak was officially over on February 27, 2024, according to the local health authorities.