Wayne County Resident with measles Visits Two Health Centers, Infection Risk High

A Wayne County resident who recently went abroad came back with more than just souvenirs. The individual has tested positive for measles, a highly contagious illness that’s been largely under control thanks to vaccinations. The person, now in isolation, is the seventh confirmed case for Michigan this year.

The person visited two health facilities in Canton and Livonia, between July 25 to July 29, potentially exposing others to the virus. The specific locations and timings are below:

• Michigan Medicine Canton Health Center in Canton: 1051 N. Canton Center Road, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 25, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 29.
• Trinity Health IHA Urgent Care’s Schoolcraft Campus in Livonia: 19000 St. Joe’s Parkway, suite 140, from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on July 27.

One of the tricky things about measles is that folks infected can spread the virus even before they show symptoms. Those who haven’t received vaccines or aren’t sure about their vaccine status should get in touch with health authorities off this link.

Post-exposure treatments may be an option for people within six days of potential exposure, potentially either preventing the infection or making the illness milder.

In the event you start noticing symptoms, don’t rush to your doctor without informing them first. Call your healthcare provider, explain your concerns and wait for their guidance before you show up at a medical facility since shedding the virus in a healthcare setting could expose other patients.

And what are those symptoms, exactly? They show up around seven-14 days after exposure, but can take as long as three weeks to appear:

• A substantial fever, in some cases rising above 104 degrees.
• Common cold-like symptoms, including runny nose, cough, and red, irritated eyes.
• Two to three days later, little white spots – known as Koplik spots – may pop up inside your mouth, on the inner cheeks, gums, and roof of the mouth.
• Finally, three to five days after the first symptoms, a red, raised, blotchy rash appears. This generally starts on the face and then spreads down to the rest of the body.

Now, this isn’t some illness you can just ride out. Measles can lead to serious complications. This year alone, about 49% of the 188 confirmed measles patients in the U.S. had to be hospitalised. Around 1 in 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, while 1 to 3 in every 1,000 end up passing away from complications including encephalitis, which can cause permanent hearing loss, intellectual disability, and convulsions.

How do we protect ourselves and our loved ones from this? Simple. Get vaccinated. The measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine is readily available and two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles. The vaccine is safe and easy to get.

Usually, the first dose should be given to a child when they’re about 12-15 months old, with a booster dose between the ages of 4 and 6. Anyone born in or after 1957 without evidence of immunity against measles or documentation of two MMR doses should get vaccinated. The second dose should be given no sooner than 28 days after the first.

For those who think they’ve been exposed to measles and can’t prove their immunity, post-exposure prophylaxis could provide some protection if it’s given within 72 hours of exposure.

In Michigan this year, this isn’t the first case of measles. There have been cases in Macomb County, Detroit, Washtenaw County, and Oakland County as well. This only fuels the fire that we all need to take measles seriously and get vaccinated.