No specific location for the origins of the measles has been found. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said the risk in the community remains low.
Measles outbreak: Who’s at risk and who’s likely immune from virus
As measles continue to spread in the U.S., here’s who is at risk and who’s immune from one of the most contagious viruses in the world.
Nine cases of measles have been confirmed in Oconto County by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the county public health department, marking first cases of the year in Wisconsin.
One case was found through testing at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, while the other eight were identified through symptoms, according to a statement released Aug. 2 by state health officials.
According to health officials, the source of exposure for all nine cases occurred during out-of-state travel. Risk in the community remains low, according to officials.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads from person to person through the air. Symptoms of measles come 10 to 21 days after contact. Some of the symptoms include a runny nose, high fever, and red rash with bumps.
One in four people who get measles can end up hospitalized, according to DHS.
For the past few years, public health officials have been raising the alarm about a nationwide trend of slipping vaccination rates, especially for measles, among school-age children.
Wisconsin kindergartners have one of the nation’s lowest vaccination rates against measles in the country. That puts the state at risk, health officials said, for the disease taking hold and spreading in an under-vaccinated community.
Last school year, less than 85% of Wisconsin kindergartners were up-to-date on the measles vaccine, compared to nearly 93% of kindergartners nationwide, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Idaho and Alaska reported having lower vaccination rates against measles, though some states were missing data.
These fact prompted state health officials earlier this year to warn the state was at risk of a measles outbreak similar to the outbreak that occurred in Texas. Wisconsin residents can check their vaccination status by visiting the Wisconsin Immunization Registry online and to get up-to-date on the measles vaccine, known as the MMR vaccine, if they aren’t already.
Health officials are asking anyone who develops symptoms of measles to stay home and call their local doctor or clinic before visiting.
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