Measles, North America 2007 May

[Thornton]

Measles is the prototype for infectious illness, it is airborne and 90% of unimmunized contacts with a case usually develop the illness. By tracking the management of these two outbreaks we will see how local health departments do case tracking and even with these small numbers we see the social and international issues come into play.

http://news.ufl.edu/2007/05/03/uf-st...measles-cases/

UF student among confirmed measles cases
Filed under Campus, Announcements, InsideUF, Special Announcements on Thursday, May 3, 2007.GAINESVILLE, Fla. ? The Alachua County Health Department on Tuesday confirmed three cases of measles, one of which involves a University of Florida student.

The student received a waiver from showing proof of immunization against measles for religious reasons. Some UF students have received waivers for medical reasons as well.

As a precaution, the university has taken the following actions to limit the possibility of exposure for anyone who may be at risk of contracting measles:

The affected student has been advised to refrain from visiting campus until he is no longer at risk of spreading the infection.
Those students who received medical or religious waivers are being advised to refrain from visiting campus until they are no longer at risk of spreading the infection, unless they receive the immunization.
Additionally, because the student had contact with the Hare Krishnas who serve lunch at the Plaza of the Americas on the UF campus, the health department has asked that group to suspend serving meals for 30 days until the danger has passed, unless they receive the immunization.
Measles generally is a benign illness in children but in the adult population it can produce serious complications. Because the measles vaccine has been available in the United States for more than 40 years, the likelihood of contracting the infection is considered to be low. If you fall into either one of the following two categories, you are unlikely to be at risk:

Anyone born before 1957.
Anyone who can document having received two doses of the measles vaccine.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/sto...-outbreak.html

British Airways flight likely source of Alberta measles cases
Last Updated: Friday, May 4, 2007 | 4:25 PM MT
CBC News
Calgary health officials are trying to track down people who arrived on a British Airways flight from England after three passengers came down with the measles.
A Calgary woman in her 20s is recovering from the highly contagious disease after flying into the international airport on British Airways Flight 1103 from Heathrow April 8.
Two other Albertans on the flight also got measles, but officials won't say which part of the province they live in, explaining they haven't yet contacted doctors in those regions.
Dr. Brent Friesen, Calgary's medical officer of health, said the flight was likely the source of the measles.
Measles are rare and the Calgary Health Region doesn't usually record any cases, he said. People who think they have measles shouldn't go to a doctor or hospital, but call Health Link for advice from a nurse.

jt

 

[Thornton]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

Source Investigation -

Note in the newspaper release above, the Calgary case is said to have come in from London Heathrow on April 8. For the Florida case, the restricted local health alert states the index case came from India, through Frankfurt to Miami on April 3. A new case appeared in Florida on April 16 and a third diagnosed on May 1. All were unimmunized.

I cannot determine if a central repository is involved in tracking the possiblity of common contacts somewhere in Europe or elsewhere for the Canadian and Florida cases.

In May 2006, Pennsylvannia linked 3 cases (1 in Allegheny PA, 1 in New York and 1 in Venezula) to a common point in Orlando Florida.
http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/cwp/view.asp?A=171&Q=244569

In 2006 an air travel advisory was listed for mumps
http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5514a6.htm

I found one local advisory for air travel exposure to measles in Seattle in December 2006. http://www.metrokc.gov/health/providers/epidemiology/health-alert-061209.htm Apparently no cases of measles occurred due to the exposure.

A case report of tracing contacts on an air flight in the year 2000 is reported on the folowing link. http://www.publichealthreports.org/userfiles/119_5/119458.pdf
An academic review of the same incident concluded that case tracking may not be necessary due to the apparent low prevalence of vunerable persons.
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/uc...3024368886343556111Guest&current_page=content

However, in an elegant 2006 review in the New England Journal of Medicine,http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/5/440?ck=nck
Dr. Mulholland writes

The longer a community goes without circulating measles virus, the more vigilant public health officials must be to maintain immunity levels in the community.

A vivid example of the transmissibility of measles occurred in Boston in 2006
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/06/10/measles_outbreak_shows_a_global_threat/

JT

 

[Thornton]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

San Antonio Texas

Health alert issued for measles
May 10, 2007
Don Finley
Express-News Medical Writer
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/breaking/2007/05/health_alert_issued_for_measle_1.html
A teenager moving from Japan to San Antonio has infected two members of a North Side family with measles -the first local cases since 1995, health officials say.
The 18-year-old teen, who has lived in Tokyo for the past two years, arrived in San Antonio in early April. Parts of Japan including Tokyo are in the midst of a measles epidemic, according to press accounts.
A 3-year-old girl living in the home was taken to a hospital in Galveston in late April; she was visiting other relatives in Texas City and was diagnosed there. Her 21-year-old uncle became ill around the same time.
The 18-year-old went to a North Side hospital emergency room for treatment but was erroneously diagnosed with chicken pox. ?..

The Texas cases seem unrelated to the Florida cases but the close timing suggests at least a look for some possible common exposure during the travels in early April.
jt

 

[Thornton]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

Another case with exposures in a traveler to New Mexico.

From the earler posts, tThe health departments in Florida and Texas have not reported any secondary cases. -jt

Posted on Fri, May. 18, 2007
N.M. health officials investigate measles case
A 15-year-old girl from India who was visiting for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair has been hospitalized with measles, and New Mexico health officials say she was likely infectious when she was traveling and while at the fair.
The New Mexico Health Department's lab confirmed the measles case Thursday. Officials said the girl, who traveled from India to Atlanta and then to Albuquerque last Saturday, was admitted to a local hospital.
The Health Department said it's concerned about possible exposure at the science fair, which is being held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, and hotels where the girl stayed. The department plans to hold a vaccination clinic Friday for fair attendees.
A separate clinic will be held Friday afternoon for other members of the public who think they may have been exposed.
"With the expertise of the New Mexico Department of Health, we are confident that anyone who has a health concern will have that concern addressed," said Elizabeth Marincola, president of Science Service, a fair sponsor. .....

The Health Department also is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify people who may have been exposed during plane flights or at airports.

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/251/v-print/story/38809.html

 

[Thornton]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

More details on the one person with measles in New Mexico. It is not clear why the young girl is hospitalized. It could be to ensure effective isolation or she could be experiencing complications. Since this is the 3rd North American exposure in 6 weeks linked to a traveler from Indian, it would be useful for someone to determine if there is a single area in India that could benefit from a boost in immunization or screening for travel. -jt


http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/ma...estant-india-hospitalized-measles/?printer=1/

Science fair contestant from India hospitalized with measles
By Sue Vorenberg
Friday, May 18, 2007
State and federal health officials were in high gear this morning after a 15-year-old contestant at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair was hospitalized with the measles.
The girl, who came from India, was at the fair Monday through Wednesday and could have exposed other students and visitors present during those days, said Mack Sewell, state epidemiologist.
"We're quite concerned and taking a number of steps," Sewell said. "We got the lab results late yesterday afternoon and have been scrambling ever since to get a game plan together."
Overall, the fair at the Albuquerque Convention Center had about 5,000 badged attendees and about 1,200 judges who might have been exposed, said Jeanette Miller, a co-organizer.
Measles causes high fever, a rash that starts on the face and can spread across the chest, and respiratory infections. It is more dangerous in adults and, in rare cases, can be fatal, Sewell said.
However, there is good news on the disease and how it spreads that could reduce the risk of an epidemic.
Although the disease is highly contagious, it incubates for about 10 days before symptoms appear or a person becomes contagious.
Vaccinations are effective for about the first 78 hours after a person has been exposed.Most kids in the United States are vaccinated for the disease with two shots in early childhood.
Most adults in the United States born before 1957 would have been exposed to the disease in childhood and developed a natural immunity.
The long incubation period means the throngs of Albuquerque students that visited the fair on Thursday, the first public day, were likely not infected because the girl wasn't there, Sewell said.
"That would be my conclusion," Sewell said. "That is quite good news."
But those visiting the fair from 47 other countries might be at higher risk, Sewell said.
"It's virtually impossible to know how many of these international students have been immunized," Sewell said.
There is also the possibility that the girl infected people she came in contact with while visiting other spots in Albuquerque.
Health officials are advising anyone who thinks they might have been exposed to the disease to call for advice on whether they need a shot.
According to the Health Department, the girl could also have exposed people at:
The MCM Elegante Hotel, 2020 Menaul Blvd. N.E., from Saturday through Wednesday.
The Wal-Mart at Carlisle and Menaul on Monday from 2 to 3 p.m.
The Fairfield Inn by Mariott, 1760 Menaul Blvd., on Wednesday and Thursday.
The emergency room at Lovelace Medical Center downtown from 3:20 p.m. on Wednesday through 2 a.m. on Thursday.
The girl also spent about five hours at the Atlanta International Airport on Saturday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the possibility of transmission of the disease in that area, Sewell said.
"We're also notifying other state health departments and staying in close contact with the CDC," Sewell said.
The girl was taken to the Lovelace Medical Center downtown on Wednesday night, but the lab results weren't available until late Thursday.
Lovelace is calling all patients and staff that might have been exposed, said Susan Wilson, a spokeswoman for Lovelace Health System.
"If people were in our emergency room - and just our emergency room - when she was there, they may have been exposed or had risk of exposure," she said.
The Health Department has opened a shot clinic today at the creative arts building at New Mexico Expo, where those at the science fair will be receiving awards today. The public can also get evaluated at the clinic through 5 p.m. this evening.
So far, people at the fair are taking the news in stride, said Jeanette Miller, a co-organizer.
"Mostly the people requesting boosters have been adults," Miller said. "But nobody is panicking."
The state has 11,000 shots available and can get more quickly from the CDC if needed, Sewell said.
"We're in pretty good shape right now," Sewell said.

 

[Thornton]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

CDC on measles and mumps May 18, 2007

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/measles_intl_travel_2005.htm
Update: 2007 Measles and Mumps Outbreaks
This information is current as of today, May 18, 2007, 08:15:00 PM
Updated: May 17, April 28, 2007; October 27, July 28, 24 and 3, June 8, May 12, April 28, and March 31, 2006
Released: November 16, 2005
Measles and mumps remain common diseases in many parts of the world. For US travelers, the risk for exposure to measles and mumps can be high, and both diseases can be prevented by the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
Worldwide, more than 20 million people get sick with measles each year; of these cases, 345,000 are fatal. Measles cases occur in all regions of the world: Southeast Asia (14 million cases), Africa (3.5 million cases), Eastern Mediterranean (2 million cases), Western Pacific (1 million cases), Europe (170,000 cases) and the Americas (<1,000 cases). Mumps is endemic in all regions of the world, including in many developed countries.
Currently, numerous measles outbreaks are ongoing worldwide, including an outbreak in Japan in the Western Pacific Region, that has resulted in imported cases into the U.S. However, in 2007, the majority of US import-associated cases have been linked to India.
Recent cases of mumps have been reported in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Ontario, Canada . The large outbreak of mumps that occurred in the United Kingdom in 2005-6 has waned, although mumps remains endemic there.
Recommendations for travelers
All travelers should be fully immunized and keep a copy of their immunization records with them as they travel.
? Children
o 12 months or older should receive 2 doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days, with the first dose administered on or after the first birthday.
o 6?11 months of age, if they must travel outside the US, should receive single-antigen measles vaccine before departure if it is available, or MMR if single-antigen measles vaccine is not available. (Note: MMR given before 12 months of age should not be counted as part of the series. Children who receive MMR before age 12 months will need 2 more doses of MMR, the first of which should be administered at 12 months of age.)
? Adolescents and Adults
o who have received 2 doses of live measles- or mumps-containing vaccine are generally considered immune to measles and mumps.
o are also considered immune to measles and mumps if they have had the diagnosis documented by a physician, laboratory evidence of immunity, or were born before 1957.
o who cannot be considered immune based on the above criteria should receive 2 doses of MMR vaccine, separated by at least 28 days.

Information about Measles
Measles is a serious disease. Some people who become sick with measles also get an ear infection (7%-9%), diarrhea (8%), or a serious lung infection, such as pneumonia (1%-6%). One of 1,500 people with measles develops inflammation of the brain. In the United States in recent years, approximately 1-3 of every 1,000 people with measles have died . Measles can cause especially severe disease in people who are malnourished or immunosuppressed (i.e., HIV infection, leukemia, lymphoma, or generalized malignancy) or in persons receiving certain drugs or radiation therapies.
Information about Mumps
Mumps is an infection of the salivary glands caused by a virus. It spreads through direct contact with respiratory droplets or saliva from an infected person. Early symptoms include fever, headache, and muscle aches; fewer than half of infected people may have the characteristic swelling of the glands close to the jaw. Mumps infection can lead to meningitis, inflammation of the testicles or ovaries, inflammation of the pancreas, and deafness, which may be permanent.
Information about the Vaccine
The MMR vaccine also provides protection against rubella (German measles). Rubella is caused by a virus that is spread through droplet transmission. It can cause a rash, mild fever, and arthritis (mostly in women). If a woman gets rubella while she is pregnant, she could have a miscarriage or her baby could be born with serious birth defects, such as deafness, cataracts, or mental retardation.
Since the introduction of vaccines containing measles, rubella, or mumps vaccine viruses?and later the combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine?in the United States, the numbers of reported cases of measles, mumps, and rubella, and of birth defects caused by rubella infection (congenital rubella syndrome) have decreased substantially. However, routine surveillance and vaccination remain necessary because of the continuing possibility that these diseases may be introduced from other countries.
For more information, see the following links:
? Lancet 2007; 369:191-200
? General Information on Outbreaks of Mumps in Canada
? MMR vaccine (MMWR Recommendations and Reports, May 22, 1998)
? Measles, mumps, and rubella (National Immunization Program website)
? Measles outbreaks in Europe (Eurosurveillance website)
? Measles (Health Information for International Travel)
? Mumps (Health Information for International Travel)
? Rubella (Health Information for International Travel)

 

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

South Dakota
Students possibly exposed to measles
By Staff Reports
Published: May 23, 2007
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070523/NEWS/705230323/1001
​

Several South Dakota students might have been exposed to the measles virus while attending a science fair in New Mexico, health officials said Tuesday.

A case was confirmed in a participant during an international science fair in Albuquerque from May 12-16, according to South Dakota health officials.

A 15-year-old girl from India, who was attending, was diagnosed with measles.

That prompted New Mexico officials to set up a clinic to vaccinate students who attended the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, according to reports from the Albuquerque Journal.

Health officials are checking to see whether students who attended the fair have been vaccinated. Students from at least 16 South Dakota counties attended.

 

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

New Mexico Department Of Health Holding Measles Vaccination Clinic

http://www.emaxhealth.com/39/12310.html​

Measles Vaccination Clinic

The New Mexico Department of Health is holding a measles vaccination clinic from at the Creative Arts Building at the EXPO New Mexico Fairgrounds.

The Department of Health confirmed Thursday that a 15 year-old girl from India has measles.

Those who need to attend the clinic should arrive at Gate 4 of the New Mexico Fairground off of San Pedro where they will be met by staff who will direct them to free parking and the clinic site.

"We want to encourage anyone who believes they may have been exposed to visit our clinic today," said Mack Sewell, state epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health. "Anyone with questions about potential exposure or vaccinations should call their medical provider or the Poison Control and Drug Information Center."

The Poison Control and Drug Information Center can be reached toll free at 1-866-850-5893. Potentially exposed persons need to verify their immunization history. Anyone who has had measles or had two doses of the vaccination is protected against the disease, Swell said.

The patient has been admitted to a local hospital. The Department of Health is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify persons who may have been exposed via air flights and/or at airports.

"With the expertise of the New Mexico Department of Health, we are confident that anyone who has a health concern will have that concern addressed," said Elizabeth Marincola, president of Science Service, associated with the science fair.

 

[Thornton]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

Now Boston. I would like to see a report on the trace investigations of the travelers from India. If they were all from one area the interventions may be focused more effectively.


http://www.boston.com/news/local/ar...students_illness_raises_measles_fears?mode=PF

Boston University summer student's illness raises measles fears
By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff | May 26, 2007
A student enrolled in Boston University's summer session has been diagnosed with a probable case of measles, forcing school and city health authorities yesterday to adopt measures to prevent the spread of the highly contagious viral illness.
The 20-year-old traveled from India recently to study on BU's Charles River campus but had not yet attended any classes, said Dr. Anita Barry, Boston's director of communicable disease control.
The woman, whose identity was not released because of confidentiality rules, sought treatment in the university's student health center, Barry said.
BU spokesman Colin Riley said the woman visited campus only after commencement crowds had dispersed. "My understanding of her illness is that it is completely typical and classic for measles," Barry said.
The woman's first symptoms were a cough and runny nose and then, three days later, she developed a telltale rash, along with a 103-degree fever. The woman is believed to be recovering in Brookline, where she is living while studying at BU, Barry said.
As part of its effort to prevent an outbreak of measles, the Boston Public Health Commission has ordered BU to make sure that all students in summer classes have proof they are not susceptible to measles. That can take the form of immunization records or tests showing exposure to the virus.
In a memo distributed via e-mail yesterday, faculty and staff members were urged to check their own vaccination and medical records. Anyone receiving at least two doses of measles vaccine after 1967 is considered to be immune, as are people born before 1957, when measles infections were routine. Vaccines given in the early- and mid-1960s are considered inferior, and adults not vaccinated since then should consider getting a shot, health authorities said.
Last year, the first measles outbreak in 17 years in Boston made 15 people sick.


jt

 

[Thornton]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

I put this in the North America thread because the case in Vancouver is confirmed. Note that they imposed a quarantine on the travelers. This is only the second case of measles imported into North America from Japan. The other Japanase linked case was reported in San Antonio. The other cases were linked to travelers from India. - JT

http://www.770chqr.com/news/news_lo...0110923aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm

Measles Scare Prompts Tourist Quarantine in Banff
May, 28 2007 - 2:50 PM

CALGARY/AM770CHQR - A group of 130 tourists from Japan are quarantined in a Banff hotel because of possible exposure to measles.
One member of the group who'd stayed behind in Vancouver tested positive.
The rest of the group flew to Calgary Sunday and got on a bus to Banff.
The person with measles didn't fly to Calgary.
They're all being tested for immunity to measles, with the test results expected tomorrow.
Vancouver Coastal Health is tracing any potential contacts from the group's flight from Tokyo to Vancouver May 24.The Calgary Health Region says the spread of measles is a serious health concern.
- end -

 

[Thornton]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

Now Oregon (fromJapan). The CDC is busy contacting air passengers this month.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/05/oregon_isolates_man_suspected.html

Oregon issues warning about man suspected of having measles
Posted by The Oregonian May 30, 2007 17:44PM
Categories: Breaking News
Oregon health officials warned today a young man who recently flew from Japan and went to an emergency room probably has measles, which is highly contagious.
"We hardly ever see it anymore," said Dr. Paul Cieslak, communicable disease manager in the Oregon Department of Human Services. "The worry is that it's out there. And when people get exposed, they could drop in in doctor's office and expose other people. That's what happened to this probable case."

The individual, a man in his 20s, flew May 21 from Japan to Oregon. He also spent time in the emergency department at Sacred Heart Medical Center, Cieslak said.
He's now staying in his home in Lane County, Cieslak said.

The Oregon Department of Health Services is working with the Lane County Public Health Department and Sacred Heart Medical Center to identify anyone who may have had contact with this person, whom state officials did not name. Oregon has forwarded the information to the federal Centers for Disease Control to track down people who took the same flight from Japan.

This case, if it is confirmed, would be the first in Oregon this year. In both 2006 and 2005, the state registered two cases, but none in 2000, 2002 and 2004. Oregon saw three cases of measles each in 2001 and 2003.

The viral infection, which is transmitted through air, is highly contagious. It usually begins with a cough, runny nose, eye irritation and fever, then leads to a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. About 6 percent of cases get pneumonia, and a smaller percentage suffer infection in the brain. About one case out of every 500 dies, Cieslak said.

Persons with measles can be contagious for several days before the rash appears and for up to four days afterward. Cieslak said people with a rash should not drop in to their physician's office or to the emergency room.

"Measles is about the most contagious disease known, and dropping in on doctors' offices or emergency rooms can expose patients," Cieslak said. "If you have a fever and a rash, call and arrange to see your physician where other patients will not be exposed." -- Lynne Terry; lynneterry@news.oregonian.com

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

No more measles found, 41 Japanese heading home

Cheryl Chan, The Province

Published: Monday, June 04, 2007

Thirty-nine Japanese students and their two chaperones, stuck in Vancouver because of a measles scare, have been given a clean bill of health.

"We are very happy at this stage in the game that none of the youths have contracted measles," Sue Olsen, emergency preparedness co-ordinator with the Public Health Agency of Canada, said yesterday.

One student who had symptoms of measles -- a slight temperature, a cough and cold -- turned out to have a case of the common cold.

The group had been quarantined initially after one girl came down with a confirmed case of measles, which are highly contagious. She was allowed to go home Thursday.

But the 41, identified as non-immune due to inadequate vaccinations or lack of exposure to measles, were barred from leaving.

Health officers at the airport decided Thursday to hold them back on a 48-hour quarantine order as a security precaution.

The student with the cold was kept in isolation in a room at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel.

Meanwhile, the rest of the students, who exhibited no symptoms, had checkups twice daily but were allowed to sightsee because their risk to the public was deemed extremely low.

The quarantine order was lifted on Saturday.

Fourteen students, including the one who had the cold, boarded a direct flight to Tokyo yesterday afternoon. Eighteen more students leave today, and the remainder will follow tomorrow.

A nurse will be on-board each flight as a safety precaution.

The students are receiving immune globulin shots before leaving in order to minimize symptoms and reduce the possibility of transmission.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=0624326b-47f5-4e43-a66a-0c7b48edd793

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

More on the man mentioned in post # 11:

Eugene man with measles may have exposed travelers

Saturday, June 2, 2007 11:30 AM PDT


EUGENE (AP) - A man infected with a case of the measles while visiting Japan potentially exposed dozens of air travelers to the disease along with more than 100 hospital patients, employees and visitors in Eugene, health officials said.

The Eugene man, who was not identified by officials, is in his early 20s. He flew back from Japan on May 22, changing planes in San Francisco.

The man would have been contagious during those flights, said Dr. Paul Cieslak, communicable disease manager in the state Public Health Division.

Passengers could have been exposed to measles, but public health officials have found that air travel historically does not pose a high risk for the spread of disease, Cieslak said.

Airlines circulate and refresh the air inside a plane several times an hour, he said. And if the patient was not coughing during the flight, measles is not that contagious, he said.

“It appears to be pretty rare,” Cieslak said.

The man showed up at the Sacred Heart Medical Center emergency department last Saturday. Doctors diagnosed him with measles, and isolated him in a room in the progressive cardiac unit, hospital spokesman Brian Terrett said.

Other confirmed cases have yet to emerge, but Lane County Public Health and Sacred Heart Medical Center officials are contacting anyone who may have been exposed directly or indirectly to find out if they have immunity to measles.

At least three Sacred Heart employees, including one doctor, were found to have no immunity to measles and were told to stay home on paid leave for three weeks, Terrett said.

The man is now recovering at home and no longer is contagious, Lane County public health officer Dr. Sarah Hendrickson said.

She noted the man was never vaccinated for measles. “He came from a background of vaccine resisters,” Hendrickson said.

The vast majority of Americans - about 95 percent - have immunity to measles, either because they received two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine as children, or because they were born before 1957 and exposed to the virus, public health officials said.

In Lane County, slightly less than 5 percent of school-age children are exempt from state law requiring vaccinations because their parents oppose the shots on philosophical or religious grounds, public health nurse Martha deBroekert said.

http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2007/06/02/news/news10060207.txt

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

Second man in Eugene infected by measles

Measles victim leaves house despite warning

By Tim Christie

The Register-Guard

Published: Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Lane County Public Health officials diagnosed a young Eugene man on May 29 with measles, a highly contagious viral disease, and urged him to stay home until he got well.

That night, the man caught a hip-hop show at the WOW Hall and went drinking afterward at a downtown Eugene bar. The next night, he went out for sushi.

"He evidently did not hear us very clearly," Dr. Sarah Hendrickson, Lane County's public health officer, said Monday.

The man, in his early 20s, began showing symptoms of the measles on Friday night, which means he became infectious on May 28, public health officials said.

Lab results confirmed over the weekend that he had contracted measles.

The man had socialized with a 21-year-old Eugene man who brought the bug back from Japan on May 22 and who was the first confirmed case of measles in Lane County since 1990.

Hendrickson said both men came from families who do not believe in measles vaccinations, and "who don't think measles are a big deal."

That's their right under Oregon law, she said, which allows families to exempt themselves from school immunization law for religious or philosophical reasons.

"However, having opted out of that, they're opting into the need to respect the rest of their community, when they might have been exposed to a a disease to which they're not immune," Hendrickson said. "We're relying on people's common sense and community spirit."

Measles can cause serious illness and even death. About 6 percent of cases cause pneumonia, and about 8 percent get ear infections.

One in 500 cases is fatal. The virus can cause people with compromised immune systems to get very sick, Hendrickson said.

"We're just crossing our fingers that none of these susceptible people get sick and that this outbreak will peter out before someone gets seriously ill," she said.

But Hendrickson said she would be surprised if no other cases emerge.

The second man may have had contact with the public in three locations at specific times while he was infectious:

? From 10 p.m. to the end of the Brother Ali show on May 29, at the WOW Hall.

? From midnight to 2 a.m. May 30 at Jameson's bar, 115 W. Broadway, Eugene.

? From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 30 at the Sushi Station, 199 E. Fifth Ave., Eugene.

In addition, public health officials have identified four locations and times where the public may have had contact with the first measles case:

? On United Flight 6406 from San Francisco to Eugene on May 22.

? At Shoji's Restaurant, 2465 Willamette St., Eugene, between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. May 22.

? At Safeway, 145 E. 18th Ave., Eugene, in the floral department and the checkout area, between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. May 22.

? At Sundance Natural Food Store, 748 E. 24th Ave., Eugene, between 6:35 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. on May 27.

In an effort to stop the spread of illness, public health officials are attempting to interview anyone who had direct contact or was in the same area with either of the infected persons.

Anyone who was at these locations at the same time as the infected persons should first check their immunization records for vaccination against measles, determine if they had measles in the past, and call Lane County Public Health at 682-4041.

People are considered immune to measles if they are at least 1 year old and have received two doses of the measles vaccine, usually part of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine; if they have already had measles, confirmed by a health professional; if they had a blood test confirming they are immune, or if they were born before 1957 and have had at least one dose of measles vaccine.

Public health officials ask that anyone who has symptoms of the measles - fever, rash, cough, runny nose - call their health provider first, and not show up at the doctor's office, urgent care or emergency department.

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/06/05/c1.cr.measles.0605.p1.php?section=cityregion

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

Quebec health official warns of potential measles outbreak

Last Updated: Tuesday, June 5, 2007 | 2:53 PM ET

CBC News

Public health authorities in the Montreal area are urging people to protect themselves against the measles.

So far this year there have been 14 reported cases of measles in the region.

Although that's a far cry from an outbreak, the threat is real unless people get vaccinated, says Horacio Arruda, director of the Healthy Ministry's protection branch.

Arruda, who began his career amidst a major measles outbreak in the late 1980s when 10,000 people caught the highly-contagious virus, says it's a disease that should be taken seriously.

The measles is marked by fever, cough, sensitive eyes and a rash, he told CBC News. In rare cases it causes brain damage or can even be deadly.

Since the virus has been mostly eliminated in the province, it's easy for people to forget it is still a threat, he says.
"People are not aware," said Arruda. "They ask themselves why should I get that vaccine? I'll give my child a fever ? he doesn't like needles."

The measles pose the greatest threat to infants, pregnant women and people who are HIV positive, he says.

Most people born in the 1970s should also receive a shot because that's when the province began ushering in a vaccine for the virus, he says. People born earlier were naturally exposed to the measles.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/06/05/measles-warning.html

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

Montreal reports 14 cases of measles infections

ANDR? PICARD

June 6, 2007

Montreal -- Montreal is the latest city to be hit by a troubling upsurge in measles infections. Quebec public health officials said yesterday that they have detected 14 cases in recent days.

Horacio Arruda, director of public health for the Quebec Ministry of Health, said that 12 of the measles cases are in adults aged 22 to 39 who are unsure whether they were fully vaccinated, and two of the cases are in children whose parents refused to have them vaccinated.

Measles, a once-common childhood infection, is highly contagious. Most cases are benign but it can result in severe illness and death in about one in 3,000 cases.

Virtually everyone over 40 has been exposed to measles and has natural immunity; those under 40 should have received two doses of vaccine. But, in recent years, people have begun to take vaccination for granted.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070606.NATS06-2/TPStory/National

 

[Thornton]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

A report from Pro-med describes case of a secondary measles in Eugene Oregon. The commentary describes the extent of imported measles from Japan but does not mention that the majority of known imported cases in North America have come from India.

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/prome..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,37870

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

OREGON

Measles outbreak spreads in Eugene

Sunday, June 10, 2007

EUGENE -- Four people exposed to measles but never immunized for the disease have agreed to be quarantined for 21 days, health officials said.

The people under voluntary quarantine aren't sick and may not get sick, but they've agreed to stay home until they're no longer at risk of spreading the highly contagious viral disease, said Betsy Meredith, communicable disease nursing supervisor for Lane County.

Meanwhile, nurses identified a third probable case of measles.

To date, officials have confirmed two cases of measles, the first in Lane County since 1990. Investigators, meanwhile, are tracking other suspected cases.

The outbreak began after a 21-year-old Eugene man returned May 22 from Japan, which is experiencing a widespread measles outbreak. The man, who had never been immunized, showed up at Sacred Heart Medical Center on May 26 with a fever and a rash, exposing as many as 100 hospital patients, visitors and staff.

The first man socialized with a second Eugene man, who was then diagnosed with the measles but went to a concert, bar and restaurant in Eugene, spreading the exposure risk.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/118144051487400.xml&coll=7

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

OHIO

snip:

Three locals were checked for signs of measles after being at a convention in New Mexico where a person with measles had been reported.

http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070621/NEWS01/706210302/1002

 

[hawkeye]

Re: Measles, North America 2007 May

Thank you all for tracking this. I've created a map that (or will soon) contains all the locations in this thread. This map is editable so it can be tracked in real time without difficulty.

Map: North American Measles