AZ: Pima County issues measles advisory

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=11960411

Pima County Health Department Issues Measles Advisory

Posted: Feb 9, 2010 07:32 PM

Updated: Feb 9, 2010 07:32 PM

Written by: Brian Pryor

PIMA COUNTY, AZ (KGUN9-TV) - The Pima County Health Department has issued an advisory to the public concerning measles.

Health department officials issued the advisory after they investigated a suspected case of measles in a young child. The staff at the department are monitoring for other possible exposures.

Pima County's Chief Medical Officer for the department said in the statement "We would like the community to be alert to generalized body rashes associated with fever and the symptoms described. If there is any question that the symptoms being experienced may be measles, please call your doctor or the Health Department."

Measles is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus transmitted through the air. Early symptoms of the virus include red eyes, fever, runny nose and a cough, a few days later a rash will begin on the face and spread down the body.

The public is encouraged if they have symptoms to contact their doctor before going into the office so they can take measures to ensure others may not be exposed. Measles is diagnosed through a combination of the symptoms and the laboratory results.

Tucsonan's may remember the most recent outbreak of measles in February of 2008.
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[Shiloh]

Re: AZ: Pima County issues measles advisory

Source: http://www.azstarnet.com/news/scien...cle_f7819e20-a078-533e-8383-ef977d66716d.html

Confirmed measles case prompts alert
Stephanie Innes Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Saturday, February 13, 2010 12:00 am

Watch out for rashes.

Though there's just one case, the Pima County Health Department is advising all local residents to be on the alert for symptoms of measles and to review their vaccination records.

Health Department officials confirmed Friday what earlier this week had been suspected of being a case of measles. The patient is a baby boy who is slightly more than a year old and was adopted from another country.

"It is too early to tell whether this will result in further cases of measles in our community," said chief medical officer Dr. Michelle McDonald. "Now is the time to be sure that you and your family are protected by taking the time to review your immunity to measles and if it is not complete, getting vaccinated."

The case is the first confirmed case of measles in Pima County since a local outbreak in 2008 of 13 confirmed and four suspected cases.

The baby boy in the current confirmed case did not go to a local emergency room, say Health Department officials, who did not provide any other information about the child...