A toddler from Churchill County with symptoms consistent with the measles is being evaluated with laboratory results are pending, health officials there announced Tuesday. Two similar cases were reported by Washoe County health officials on Monday.
As of the date of this release 102 measles cases from 14 states were reported to CDC. Most of those are part of the large, ongoing multistate measles outbreak that initially started in California. Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease and 90 percent of unimmunized individuals who come in direct or indirect contact with a measles patient will contract the infection.
The following measures are required in order to control and eventually stop the spread of the infection, according to a news release from Churchill County.
Increasing the number of those immune, vaccinated, against measles, as 99 percent of persons who receive two doses of the measles vaccine develop adequate immunity.
— All patients with febrile rash must be evaluated for measles
— Careful review of immunization history for all patients and contacts
— Immediate isolation of measles patients for at least 4 days before – and 4 days after the appearance of rash
— Immediate reporting of all suspect/confirmed measles cases to the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health.
Please contact Rural Community Health Services at 775.687.5162 (business hours) or 775.434.4358 (after hours) to report a case of measles in Churchill County and other rural counties of Nevada.
Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) Vaccine are very effective in preventing measles. The 1st dose should be administered between 12 and 15 months of age with a second dose administered between 4 and 6 years.
As part of the contact tracing efforts it is strongly recommended that individuals who were at one of the 3 locations (see Locations List below*) during the specified dates/times to watch for the following symptoms for the next 21 days
· Fever
· Runny nose
· Cough
· Red eyes
· Sore throat followed by
· Rash that spreads all over the body
Symptomatic individuals are advised to see their healthcare provider ASAP. Additionally, it is essential to verify the vaccination status for the symptomatic individual and her/his family by visiting the Nevada Immunization Registry at https://izrecord.nv.gov, or contact the Help Desk at 775.684.5954 (Toll-Free 877-689-3249).
For more information please check the Division of Public and Behavioral Health website at http://health.nv.gov.
Locations List
1. S afeway, 890 West Williams Avenue, Fallon, NV on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 between 10am and 2pm.
2. Walmart Supercenter, 2333 Reno Highway, Fallon, NV on Thursday, January 29, 2015 between 10am and 2pm.
3. The Wok, 255 South Maine Street, Fallon, NV on Friday, January 30, 2015 between 5pm and 9:30pm.
