WAVERLY, Ohio — The Pike County General Health District has confirmed one laboratory-confirmed case of measles in the county, health officials said, and is working to trace who may have been exposed.
The health district said it is conducting follow-up investigations to identify potential exposures, notify contacts and provide guidance to anyone who may have come into contact with the infected individual. The agency did not release further details about the person’s age, vaccination status or where exposure may have occurred.
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that can spread before an infected person shows any symptoms, according to the health district. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a room, and people who are not vaccinated face the highest risk of infection.
Symptoms typically include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery or red eyes, followed three to five days later by a rash. Symptoms generally appear seven to 14 days after exposure, though the health district said it can take as long as 21 days, and onset may be delayed in people with compromised immune systems.
About one in five unvaccinated people in the United States who contract measles is hospitalized, the health district said. Complications can include pneumonia, dehydration and swelling of the brain. Unvaccinated pregnant women face an increased risk of complications, including premature birth or a low-birth-weight baby.
Anyone experiencing symptoms consistent with measles should avoid contact with others and call their healthcare provider before showing up at a medical facility, the health district said, so staff can take precautions to prevent exposing other patients. Residents with questions about symptoms, exposure or vaccination status can call the health district at 740-947-7721.
The health district said the best protection against measles remains the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, which is routinely recommended at 12 to 15 months of age and again at 4 to 6 years. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing infection. People born before 1957 are generally considered to have immunity through prior exposure to the virus, which circulated widely before a vaccine became available.
In certain cases, vaccination or medication may be recommended after a known exposure to help prevent or reduce the severity of illness, the health district said. Anyone who believes they may have been exposed is asked to contact their healthcare provider or the health district as soon as possible.
The Pike County General Health District, headquartered in Waverly, is a general health district that oversees public health, environmental health and vital records services for the county, including immunizations, disease prevention, emergency preparedness, food safety and water quality inspections, according to the agency.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Pike County General Health District.
