TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County is now considered one of Michigan’s measles outbreak areas with three or more cases of the highly contagious virus.
A third measles case was confirmed Monday, according to a health department statement released Tuesday morning.
Officials said they don’t “suspect widespread community transmission” but updated vaccination recommendations to include babies 6-11 months old, an outbreak-associated measure.
Tuesday’s statement said the county cases were linked to each other and that officials would provide no additional details “to protect the privacy” of those associated with the outbreak.
The first local case was reported June 18 and reported as a close contact with an out-of-state traveler who had a confirmed case of measles — not from a public exposure.
On June 20, health department officials reported a second case, plus two possible exposure sites, including the Chelsea Park West apartment complex off Hartman Road between June 4 and 13 and Walmart Super Center, 2640 Crossing Circle, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. June 14. These sites are places where people may have been exposed to measles, according to a health department statement Friday.
Health department guidance urges those potentially exposed to monitor for symptoms as the virus spreads through person-to-person contact and can stay airborne up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area. Symptoms may include high fever (may spike to more than 104 degrees F); cough; runny nose; red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis); tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums, and roof of the mouth known as Koplik spots; and a rash that starts as flat red spots on the face at the hairline, then spreads to the trunk, arms, and legs three to five days after symptoms begin. Small, raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.
Individuals may be contagious for up to four days before the measles rash appears, and symptoms have appeared up to 21 days after exposure.
Those with measles symptoms should take steps to prevent additional exposures by contacting the doctor, urgent care, or hospital before seeking treatment.
The county also has opened a measles hotline Friday — 231-995-6800 — that will be staffed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week. Grand Traverse County residents can also contact 2-1-1.
Several measles outbreaks are active in Michigan, though the state’s measles dashboard has not been updated since June 12 and does not show Grand Traverse County cases or its active monitoring sites. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated Friday, shows 1,214 confirmed measles cases and 23 outbreaks in the United States so far this year.
CDC numbers also show that 12 percent of cases this year required hospitalization and resulted in three deaths. The largest age group requiring hospitalization is children under 5 years old.
Because the county is an outbreak area, health officials urge those with children younger than 1 year old to consider the MMR vaccine, which provides “long-lasting protection against the virus,” according to Tuesday’s statement.
“It is important that we, as the public health department, take action to protect, maintain, and improve the health of our community,” says Mike Lahey, MPH, Health Officer at GTCHD. “Measles is a serious disease, and we want to make sure that our residents and visitors are safe. Those who are not vaccinated against measles should consider getting vaccinated during this busy travel time in our community. It is important to make sure you protect yourself and your family from this vaccine-preventable disease.”
Contact the GTCHD at 231-995-6800.