Third measles case confirmed in state
A third case of measles, linked to the outbreak in New York City, has been confirmed in Connecticut, according to the state Department of Public Health.
The person to contract it was an adult from New Haven County who was exposed to measles during the last week of March while on a visit to Brooklyn, N.Y. The department said the diagnosis is linked to the ongoing outbreak of measles in NYC, but not related to the two previously confirmed cases in Connecticut from January.
The latest measles patient in Connecticut had a rash on Thursday. The DPH said the “infection period” for the person was between April 7 and Friday. The case was isolated as of Friday.
The state DPH said its working with local health departments and health care providers to keep an eye on the break in New York and prevent it in Connecticut.
“We are monitoring and investigating this case very closely, including working with our local health departments to follow up with any individuals that may have been exposed to measles,” said Renee D. ColemanMitchell, state DPH commissioner. “Science tells us that the single best thing anyone can do to protect themselves from this highly contagious virus is to get vaccinated.”
Statewide vaccination rates are “very high,” according to the DPH, making a widespread measles outbreak a low risk. But anyone with a fever and a rash should avoid public settings and call their health care provider before going to the facility so workers can prepare for an possible incoming measles case.
The average incubation period of measles from contact until the onset of a rash is 14 days, with a possible range of 7 to 21 days. A person is considered infectious from four days before the rash onset and four days after.
The majority of people exposed to measles in Connecticut are not atrisk of developing the disease since most people have been vaccinated or have had measles in the past, before vaccination became routine, the DPH said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children get two doses of the measles vaccine. First doses start at 12- to 15- months- old and the second dose comes around the ages of 4 to 6.
One dose of the vaccine is about 93 percent effective at preventing measles if exposed to the virus. Two doses are about 97 percent effective. The vaccines does not cause the illness, the DPH said.
A typical case of measles starts with a mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a sore throat. Three to five days after the start of these symptoms usually start on a person’s face at the hairline and spreading downward to the rest of the body.
At the time the rash appears, a person’s fever could spike to more than
104 degrees. The rash will typically last a few days and then be gone.
Between Jan. 1 and April
4, there have been 465 cases of measles have been confirmed across 19 states.
The states with reported measles cases are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
In 2018, there were also three cases of measles reported in Connecticut.
This is the second-largest number of cases reported in the U. S. since measles was knocked out back in 2000, the state Department of Public Health said.
For more information about measles, visit www.cdc.gov/measles.