Residents checked for exposure after W.Va. measles case
A case of measles has been reported in Morgantown, W.Va., for the first time since 2009, the Monongalia County Health Department there said this week.
Brian Huggins, incoming health officer for the department, confirmed Wednesday that the person had been partially vaccinated with the measles, mumps
& rubella vaccine but had traveled to Europe and brought back the virus. The health department now is tracking between 150 and 200 people who came into contact with the person, including 12 from Greene, Fayette and Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvanians.
Allegheny County doctors and researchers said the current risk to the region is low, but there’s no way to predict how the virus will spread and could cause an outbreak if it reaches a pocket of unvaccinated children or adults.
“Measles is the most infectious human virus on earth,” said Paul Duprex, director of the Center for Vaccine Research and a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of Pittsburgh. He has studied the virus for 25 years and is a leading expert in the field. “If you meet the most contagious human virus on the planet, you’re likely to get it.”
The infection is caused by a respiratory virus spread through droplets. Those exposed are likely
to develop symptoms within 10 days. Early symptoms include red eyes and a high fever of around 104 degrees, followed by a rash of fine, red bumps.
“This is not a trivial disease,” said Duprex. It kills about two of every 1,000 people who get it, with complications including pneumonia and brain swelling. And infected people can spread the virus for four days before they develop any symptoms. Duprex said he stores a sample of the virus in his research freezer that was taken from a child who died from the disease.
The Monongalia County Health Department was informed of a suspected case of measles a week ago by the WVU Medicine, where the person sought care. Test results came back positive Sunday, and the health department was working to identify and track all potential exposures and asked people with symptoms to isolate.
“Making sure you are up to date with measles vaccination is critical to prevent illness in yourself and others,” Michael Stevens, an epidemiologist at the WVU Health System, said via email. “Measles can cause severe illness and, in some cases, lead to lifelong disability and even death. With the erosion of childhood vaccination rates nationally and an uptick in measles globally, we can anticipate seeing more measles and other vaccinepreventable diseases in the future.”
Vaccine hesitancy has dropped immunity thresholds in some areas, risking the health of communities — especially the immunocompromised. As of April 18, the U.S. had seen 125 measles cases since January, the highest annual number since 2019. More than half those people have been hospitalized according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 96% of them were either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated against the virus.
The 2022-2023 Allegheny County Health Department School-Age Immunization Report found that the percentage of fully immunized students has reached 95.1%, but certain grades dipped below that threshold, such as seventh and 12th grades. Duprex called the 95.1% statistic “really good.” Measles begins to spread widely in communities once that threshold drops below 95%.
Some students, such as kindergartners attending
private or religious schools in the region, have already dropped to 91% immunization against measles.
The last reported measles case in Allegheny County was in 2019, according to the health department website.
The spread of measles below 95% “is like lighting a match in a dried- out field,” said Duprex.
“West Virginia hasn’t had a case of measles since 2009, and a lot of that is because of herd immunity,” said Dr. Huggins.
The state has one of the strictest school-age vaccination laws, too: Schools do not allow philosophical exemptions to vaccinations, and they require approval through a health officer for a medical exemption. Its statewide vaccination rate exceeds 95%.
Dr. Huggins said the risk of getting measles if you’re vaccinated is “extremely low.”
Pennsylvania allows
written medical exemptions, as well as religious and philosophical exemptions for vaccines in schoolage kids, according to Pennsylvania code.
The Monongalia County Health Department will revisit its strategic plan and amp up education and outreach regarding the importance of vaccination.
“Vaccine hesitancy is always something we address, and I think this will provide an increased opportunity to provide education,” said Dr. Huggins. The team on Wednesday planned to have identified and reached out to all those exposed from the one measles case and planned to track symptoms for 21 days.
Someone can be infected with measles by entering a room up to two hours after a person with measles leaves it. In 1991, a measles outbreak occurred at the International Special Olympics Games in Minneapolis when an athlete from Argentina spread the virus to 25 people. Two of those cases were “unrelated spectators” sitting more than 98 feet above the field.
The average number of people likely to get measles when they come in contact with an infected person is 15 — compared to 1.3 people from one exposure to the flu.
Social media and the rise of alternative news sources have increased the percentage of Americans who believe in conspiracy theories, including those of vaccination. One February 2022 report found that 16% of Americans held vaccine misperceptions.
That trend was sparked by a 1998 paper published in the journal The Lancet that linked the MMR vaccine to autism. That paper has since been retracted from the journal after evidence of fraudulent results, and the claim has been widely discredited since.
“The MMR vaccine does not cause autism,” said Joe Aracri, chair of the Allegheny Health Network Pediatrics Institute. “We know that for a fact, and we have given millions of doses.”
Duprex reiterated that the vaccine has been around for decades and had at one point eliminated measles. He understands that people might have questions about vaccines and want to make the best choice for their kids, but he said it’s crucial to listen to verified sources, including universities, researchers and physicians.
“Trust the science — not your granny on Facebook,” he said. “These days, you’re only three to four clicks away from craziness.”
Dr. Huggins urged anyone who has been notified of an exposure and develops symptoms not to visit a doctor’s office, urgent care or emergency room but to call first. Health systems have specific strategies to bring a suspected measles case through a separate entrance to avoid exposing others.
Health systems have recommended wearing surgical masks for suspected and confirmed measles cases, but they must be worn properly.
“Because of how infectious it is, even a mask that doesn’t fit properly leaves the potential for the disease to spread,” Dr. Huggins said.