OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — After more than three decades without any measles cases, Ottawa County now has three confirmed cases just this year.
On Wednesday, the Ottawa County Department of Public Health announced two more people contracted the virus. Both live with the person who was first confirmed to have measles last month, according to health officials.
It is the first time since 1991 that Ottawa County has had a confirmed case of measles.
Since all three cases are linked in exposure, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will list the county as undergoing a measles outbreak, but the Ottawa County Department of Public Health insisted the designation does not mean there is a new or increased risk of the virus spreading to neighbors.
All three people remained home during the period where they were contagious, said health officials. No public exposure sites have been identified with these cases.
“Since the first case was identified, this has been a team effort,” noted Dr. Gwendolyn Unzicker, medical director at the Ottawa County Department of Public Health. “We're grateful to this family and to our community partners for the proactive collaboration that made this response possible. The family's commitment to staying home during the monitoring period is one reason we have no public exposure sites to announce today.”
Officials from Ottawa County and the state will continue to monitor for additional cases. If none are detected by the end of May, the outbreak is expected to be declared over.
Ottawa
Health officials confirm Ottawa County's first measles case since 1991
The county launched a webpage with information on measles, promising to update it with details on any developments.
Health officials encourage residents to check their vaccination status and watch for symptoms.
Measles symptoms include a high fever (possibly spiking above 104°F), cough, runny nose, red or watery eyes and a red blotchy rash that starts on the face. Symptoms usually appear 7 to 21 days after exposure, per health officials.
If you or someone in your home develops measles-like symptoms, you are encouraged to call your primary health provider or health system before leaving to receive care. That will allow health workers to prepare to best treat a potential measles patient.
Measles is highly contagious, approximately nine out of ten people who are not immune to it will catch the disease if exposed. The Ottawa County Department of Public Health said immunity to measles is defined as:
- Any child or adult who has received two doses of the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine
- A preschool-aged child who received one dose of the MMR vaccine
- Anyone who previously had measles
- Anyone born before 1957. It is presumed those people caught measles before a vaccine was developed.
The measles cases in Ottawa County are the 9th, 11th, and 12th case in Michigan. Seven other cases are based in Washtenaw County, where state health officials are monitoring an outbreak of the disease. The initial patient was a person who had recently traveled from Florida and was unvaccinated, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Another case in Monroe County is believed to be tied to the Washtenaw County outbreak. The last case was confirmed in Macomb County.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
