Second measles case reported in Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Less than two weeks after reporting its first measles case in five years, Michigan now has a second active case.
The Washtenaw County Health Department announced Sunday that a positive case has been reported there. It comes days after the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced a positive case in neighboring Oakland County.
Doctor: Measles vaccine can help prevent ‘unnecessary suffering’
The announcement also came with an exposure warning. The person who tested positive had visited the Trinity Health Emergency Department in Ann Arbor on Friday and was in the triage and waiting areas from approximately 10:30 a.m. through 1:30 p.m. Anyone who was there at that time may have been exposed because the measles virus can survive in the air for up to two hours. Anyone who was present at the above time and who is not already immune to measles is urged to get the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine within 72 hours of exposure.
“Individuals with two, appropriately spaced doses of measles vaccine (MMR) are considered immune. Additionally, adults born before 1957 or who have evidence of prior measles illness are considered immune,” the Washtenaw County Health Department said in a statement. “For children, the first dose of MMR vaccine is routinely given at about 12 months of age, and the second starting at 4 years of age.”
Measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air and through direct person-to-person contact. Symptoms typically start within 7 to 14 days of exposure but can appear up to three weeks after initial exposure. They include a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. It also comes with a signature rash that is red, raised and blotchy. It typically starts on the face before spreading to the torso, arms and legs. The disease commonly causes tiny white spots on the inside of the mouth two to three days after initial symptoms.
According to the MDHHS, approximately one in five measles patients require hospitalization.
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This case is part of an upswing in cases of a disease that was considered eradicated for decades after a safe and effective vaccine was released, but measles has resurfaced in the last 20 years.
According to the CDC, 41 cases have already been reported this year in 15 other states. There were 58 cases reported in all of 2023. There was a significant spike in cases in 2019, where 1,274 cases were confirmed by the CDC.
The MDHHS says vaccination rates have dropped following the COVID-19 pandemic. The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine rate for kids aged 4 to 6 years old has dropped from 89.4% in 2017 to 84% in 2022.
“The measles vaccine is highly effective and very safe. A single dose of measles vaccine is about 93% effective at preventing measles, while two doses are about 97% effective. It is also effective if used within 72 hours of a measles exposure to prevent illness,” the MDHHS said in a statement.
Michigan residents can contact their doctor or their local health department for ways to schedule an appointment to get the vaccine.
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