Measles cases surge in US as it considers vaccine changes
Health experts say measles cases are rising in the U.S. and around the world and coincide with lower vaccination rates and discussion of changing vaccine schedules. Alex Cohen has more.
Measles has been confirmed in a person who traveled through Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport on Jan. 29 on the way to Walworth County, according to state and local health authorities.
This is the third case in Wisconsin in the past couple of weeks, though health officials said Friday, Feb. 6, that the case officially would be counted toward the total in the state the person was traveling from. Health officials said the case was linked to an exposure in another state, though they would not identify the state.
The individual was traveling while infectious, despite having been told to isolate, according to a Milwaukee Health Department news release.
Health officials did not release information about the person’s vaccination status, age, gender or place of residence.
Health officials warned that people who traveled on a Southwest Airlines flight, WN 266, from Phoenix to Milwaukee or were present at Mitchell International on Jan. 29 from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., may have been exposed to measles.
“This is a strong reminder that folks need to really make sure they’re up-to-date (on the measles vaccination) because measles is very contagious … and can be even deadly for children and those with a compromised immune system,” Milwaukee Health Commissioner Mike Totoraitis told reporters.
Anyone who may have been exposed during the flight or at the airport should check their vaccination status and monitor for possible symptoms through Feb. 19, health officials said. If symptoms develop, people should call a medical provider before seeking care. In other words, don’t show up unannounced at a medical office or emergency room and risk infecting others.
Health officials said they did not know of any other locations where the public may have been exposed. Measles has been detected in wastewater samples collected in Walworth County, where the infected person is isolating, according to the state health department.
It is the first measles detection under the state’s wastewater monitoring program, used for early detection of contagious diseases, said Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer and state epidemiologist for communicable diseases for DHS.
“We think it’s likely that the positive wastewater detection could have resulted from a single case,” Westergaard said. “We can’t prove that for certain, but importantly, we don’t have any other evidence of measles cases in Walworth County – or in Milwaukee County for that matter.”
Outbreaks happening in different parts of the U.S.
Measles is a highly contagious disease. Those who have not received the vaccine, which is highly effective at preventing infection, are most at risk.
The latest case was announced amid a ballooning nationwide outbreak that could end up costing the United States the measles-free designation it has held since 2000.
An outbreak along the Arizona-Utah border that began in August of last year is ongoing and has sickened nearly 240 people in Arizona, according to the state’s health department. An outbreak in South Carolina that surpassed last year’s West Texas total also continues to spread.
Nationwide, more than 700 measles cases have been reported so far this year. Last year, nearly 2,300 measles cases were reported across the country, the most of any year since 1991, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The two earlier confirmed Wisconsin cases were in Waukesha and Dane counties. Both were acquired during international travel, although they were unrelated to each other.
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