WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) — A measles outbreak has been identified in Washtenaw County after a third person was diagnosed with the disease linked to an original case.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, a measles outbreak is defined as three or more related cases of measles.
The three linked cases have been reported since March 12, all in the county, after an adult was diagnosed with measles on March 11. A day later, a second case was identified in the county, tied to the first case.
At this time, there are no new public exposure sites to report in Michigan, according to the state. The initial case was associated with travel, and the additional cases linked to the outbreak demonstrate how quickly measles can spread to people who are not immune.
Watch below: Past coverage on the Washtenaw County measles case
“Measles cases are spreading like wildfire this year, and with families traveling over spring break the risk of exposure increases,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “In this case, what happens on spring break does not stay on spring break. Measles is incredibly transmissible and can easily travel home with us, infecting others in our schools and communities. The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine remains our best defense, and two doses of MMR offer 97% protection against measles. We urge all Michigan residents to check their vaccination records to ensure they are up to date with the MMR vaccine.”
Officials have released this updated list of exposure sites. The locations with stars are the newly reported locations:
- Wed, March 4* Crunch Fitness 3020 Washtenaw Ave, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 5:00 pm to 8:40 pm
- Wed, March 4 Sidetrack Bar & Grill 56 E Cross St, Ypsilanti, MI 48198 7:45 pm to 1:00 am
- Thurs, March 5* Briarwood Mall 100 Briarwood Cir, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm
- Thurs, March 5 T-Mobile 2044 Whittaker Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 6:00 pm to 8:40 pm
- Thurs, March 5 Cricket Wireless Roundtree Place Shopping Center 2547 Ellsworth Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 6:55 pm to 8:55 pm
- Fri, March 6 CVS Pharmacy 1415 E Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti, MI 48198 4:00 pm to 6:07 pm
- Fri, March 6 Cricket Wireless Roundtree Place Shopping Center 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm 2547 Ellsworth Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
- Sat, March 7 Ypsilanti Urgent Care Walk-In Clinic 301 W Michigan Ave #100, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 7:15 pm to 9:27 pm
- Sun, March 8 Canton Urgent Care Walk-In Clinic 43033 Ford Road, Canton, MI 48187 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm
According to health officials, anyone at the above locations during the specific times and dates should monitor themselves for symptoms of measles for 21 days after the exposure. If symptoms appear, call your health care provider. Do not seek medical treatment in person without calling the doctor’s office, urgent care, or emergency room first.
Officials said vaccination rates in Michigan have continued to drop over the past year, leaving more kids and young adults vulnerable to the virus, which can cause hospitalization, brain swelling, pneumonia and even death.
“Our team is working very hard to contain this outbreak as much as possible,” said Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, Washtenaw County Health Department medical director. “It saves valuable time and resources when people are fully protected through vaccination and allows us to focus where people may be vulnerable because they’re too young for vaccination, immunocompromised or pregnant.”
