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A measles outbreak in Michigan has health officials on edge
County officials are monitoring for more measles cases after three confirmations in Washtenaw County, prompting an outbreak.
(FOX 2) - Health officials are sounding the alarm as measles cases climb in the U.S. and Michigan.
The chief medical executive said cases were spreading like wildfire after Washtenaw County reported an outbreak of the contagious disease.
On Friday, the local health department's communications director reiterated the concerns of other agencies while emphasizing the solution to stamping down on its spread.
What they're saying:
"Measles is unfortunately one of the most contagious illness we know of," said Susan Ringler-Cerniglia of the Washtenaw County Health Department.
The first case was due to someone who was unvaccinated traveling back from Florida. They had been exposed to measles before bringing it back to Michigan.
"That was an adult — an unvaccinated adult who had been in Florida. There is an ongoing outbreak in Florida and presumably they were exposed there, returned to Michigan and then became ill," said Ringler-Cerniglia.
The two additional cases were both among those who were unvaccinated and had close contact with the original case.
Exposure Sites
There are a number of sites where people could have been exposed due to the current outbreak. They include:
- Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor on March 5
- Cricket Wireless on Ellsworth in Ypsilanti on March 5 and 6
- Crunch Fitness on Wastenaw Avenue in Ypsilanti on March 4
- CVS Pharmacy on Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti on March 6
- Sidetrack Bar & Grill on Cross Street in Ypsilanti on March 4
- T-Mobile on Whittaker Road in Ypsilanti on March 5
- Ypsilanti Urgent Care on W Michigan Ave on March 7
Dig deeper:
Ringler-Cerniglia said the airspace where someone that's contagious with measles is infectious for two hours after they leave.
And symptoms can be tricky to identify because they look like issues related to any other normal illness.
"Unfortunately, those first symptoms are pretty generic, red watery eyes, you might spike a fever, cough," she said.
What you can do:
Health officials say the best way to prevent a measles infection is through a vaccine. It is 97% effective at preventing an infection.
The Source: The Washtenaw County Health Department was cited for this story.