BOISE, Idaho — A man from Idaho has been confirmed to have measles, public health officials are reminding Idahoans to protect themselves from these highly contagious illnesses by getting vaccinated.
On Sept. 20, a man in southwest Idaho was confirmed to have measles. He was unvaccinated and was possibly exposed during recent international travel.
He was hospitalized and has been sent home to recover.
“Measles is an acute, highly contagious viral disease and could quickly spread to others,” said Dr. Christine Hahn, Idaho state epidemiologist and medical director for the Division of Public Health at the Department of Health and Welfare. “Measles can spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing, but also by breathing the contaminated air or touching a surface that has respiratory droplets on it.”
The virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace after an infected person leaves the area.
It is very contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of people who have been close to that individual, who are not immune, will also become infected.
If you’ve been exposed to measles, you should call your healthcare provider and monitor for symptoms for 21 days after exposure.
Symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough and rash. Even though its considered a childhood disease, it can be contracted at any age.
“The best way to protect yourself and your family against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases is by immunization,” said Ricky Bowman, epidemiology program manager with Southwest District Health. “Measles can be prevented by the measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, which protects against all three illnesses. It’s considered to be 97% effective at preventing measles after two doses.”
Children should receive their first dose of measles vaccine between 12 and 15 months and another at four to six years old.
For more information on measles, visit the Center for Disease Control website.
