Public health officials in Phoenix are scrambling to monitor about 1,000 people who may have been exposed to measles at a children's medical center in that city. The group includes nearly 200 children.
An Arizona woman has been confirmed to have measles, one of seven confirmed cases in the state. She visited the Phoenix Children's East Valley Center on Jan. 20 before the signature rash of measles showed up on her. She was apparently infected by coming into contact with a family who had traveled to Disneyland in December and who came down with the very contagious disease. Health officials have not said if she was vaccinated against measles or not. The vaccine is not always 100% effective.
"Unfortunately, she came down with the disease and by the time it was recognized had already exposed a large number of children at the facility," said Bob England, the health director for Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located.
People who have not been vaccinated against measles and who were exposed at the medical center are being asked to stay home for 21 days or to wear masks if they have to go out in public. Many of the children who were at the medical center on January 20 or 21 may not have been vaccinated because they are under the recommended age.
Measles is a viral infection that spreads extremely easily. Symptoms usually appear with 7 to 14 days after exposure. Initial symptoms include a high fever, spots in the mouth, a runny nose, and red eyes. A rash that covers most of the body appears two to three days after the first symptoms. Usually measles lasts 7 to 10 days unless it is complicated by a bacterial infection or another viral infection, such as pneumonia. Measles can cause seizures, pneumonia, hearing loss, brain infection, eye problems and even death. At one time, measles pneumonia had a death rate of 30%.
