Two Chicago area residents infected with measles, the latest in a growing measles resurgence
Two Chicago area residents have been diagnosed with measles, the first cases of the highly contagious disease identified in Cook County this year, according to health authorities.
The new cases add to a growing resurgence of measles nationally, which has infected more than 880 people — mostly children — in 29 states since January, according to the latest counts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of the cases have been concentrated in West Texas, where a months-long outbreak has spread to nearby states and even neighboring Mexico.
No cases of measles have been reported in Wisconsin this year, though some state health officials consider it only a matter of time before a resident becomes infected. The Chicago-area cases represent the closest identified cases to the Milwaukee-area this year.
One of the two new cases is a suburban Cook County adult of unknown vaccination status who sought care at a hospital on April 28, according to a news release issued April 30 by the Chicago Department of Public Health and Cook County Department of Public Health.
Another is an adult Chicago resident who developed a rash on April 25. That person previously received one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine and had traveled internationally through O'Hare Airport in early April.
Health officials recommend that international travelers ensure they have received two doses of the MMR vaccine at least two weeks before traveling.
Measles, which is caused by a virus, is spread through the air and is highly contagious. It is characterized by a rash that spreads over the face and body, though other symptoms, such as fever, a cough and a runny nose, typically precede the rash by a few days, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In the release, Chicago and Cook County health officials did not say how or where the two residents are believed to have contracted measles.
The Chicago-area health departments are working to identify people who may have been exposed and they released a list of public locations where exposure may have occurred:
Fittingly Delicious, 3939 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, on April 21
O'Hare Airport, especially Terminal 1, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on April 22 and 23
Aldi, 7235 39th St., Lyons, Illinois, between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on April 25
Shell, 3901 S. Harlem Ave., Stickney, Illinois, between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on April 27
Mobil, 2945 S. Harlem Ave., Berwyn, Illinois, between 10:20 a.m. and 1 p.m. on April 28
Health officials in Wisconsin have warned that Wisconsin is at risk of a measles outbreak similar to the one spreading in Texas, given that parts of the state have very low vaccination rates.
"If and when — I think it's more of a 'when' — when measles is introduced into the state, we do have pockets of our population that are at extremely high risk," said Kirsten Johnson, secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, during a Q&A in early April.
Last school year, less than 85% of Wisconsin kindergartners were up-to-date on the measles vaccine, compared to nearly 93% of kindergartners nationwide, according to a CDC report. Only Idaho and Alaska reported having lower vaccination rates against measles, though some other states did not submit complete data.
Measles can cause serious illness in young children. In severe cases, the disease can cause life-threatening complications, such as brain swelling and pneumonia.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Two Chicago area adults infected with measles, amid resurgence of disease
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