Measles outbreak at 99 confirmed cases & rising in the U.S.

Measles (Rubeola) has reemerged with 99 confirmed cases in ten states this year, alone. In six states with on going cases, Arizona, Illinois, New York, Michigan, Washington, and Wisconsin. While California, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Virginia - being the other 4 states of the ten states having non-active case at this time.

Measles is a highly contagious disease spread through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms can include rash, high fever, coughing, and runny nose. The disease can also cause more serious complications, such as ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) even death.

Please get Vaccinated (MMR shot) this prevents everyone from getting or contracting the measles. (Read the link on MMR Shots for info.)

The CDC placed the alert out May 1, 2008.

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"UPDATED DAILY" Since this report by the CDC - “35 new cases” have been confirmed in the following states: Arizona - 6, Illinois - 8, Washington – 18, & Wisconsin – 3.

UPDATE 6.02.2008 - 6 New Cases Confirmed in DuPage County, Illinois. 
In Washington state "Grant County" has placed a June 18th deadline for their measles outbreak "if no new cases are found within this time". While the measles cases seem to be going down, 28 cases of Chickenpox have been reported in the county for the 2007-2008 school year thus far.  
UPDATE 5.24.2008 - 2 new cases of measles reported in Moses Lake, Grant County Washington.

UPDATE As of 5.23.2008 - 2 New Confirmed Cases In Illinois. The Counties are Cook & DuPage. Measles vaccinations are offered at health departments in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties.

Kids in McLean county are covered if they meet public aid qualifications. Official Illinois Dept. of Public health release

UPDATE As of 5.22.2008 "No new cases to report"
 On 5.20.2008 Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano allocated $350,000 from the State Health Crisis fund to bolster the state's response to a measles outbreak in two arizona counties (Pinal & Pima Co.) via azgovernor.gov
UPDATE As of 5.16.2008 (5 PM MST) - Washington State, 1 new case has been Confirmed within the last hour in Grant County, Washington. No further information is available at time of posting. Source: Grant County Health Dept.

- Arizona State (Pinal County) 1 Infant has been Confirmed to have Measles. Health officials believe this case is connected to the outbreak in Pima County, where all the other 20 confirmed cases have been within the state of Arizona via: azstarnet.com
As of 5.14.2008 - 3 new confirmed cases reported by Grant County Health District on monday bring the affected cases in the county to 15 at this time. * The newest cases have been linked to previous identified cases; there were no close contact related to school settings. Health officials confirm the source of the infection as the Lakeview Skating Rink in Soup Lake, if you were at the skating rink during the evening of April 19 & April 25 - Please call the Grant County Health District's Ephrata Office @ 509-754-6060 * via Grant County Health District Release
As of 5.09.2008 - No new "confirmed" cases reported

As of 5.08.2008 - No new "confirmed" cases reported

As of 5.07.2008 Arizona State has 3 new cases In Pima County

As of 5.06.2008 Washington State has 4 more case from Grant county along with the original 8 cases from last week. Wisconsin has 1 new case in Walworth County

As of 5.05.2008 the states of Iowa, Minnesota have places warnings of High Risk to the public via media outlets in those states. Georgia has been notifying individuals who may have attended the Generation Church Conference in Kirkland, Washington, in late March of this year.

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To date the case history of confirmed measles case by states and cases are as follows: 
New York – 23, Arizona - 21, Washington - 18, California - 12, Wisconsin - 7 (1 case unknown but confirmed), Michigan – 4, Hawaii - 3, Illinois - 9, Pennsylvania – 1 and Virginia – 1

Alert or outbreaks (with outbreak meaning 3 or more cases linked in time or place) are ongoing.

CDC stated about how contagious measles was, "The thing about measles is that it's extremely contagious and that, if you put the measles virus in a room with unimmunized people, they would essentially all come down with measles. It's extremely, extremely contagious.

It also persists in the environment for a couple of hours after the person has been there. And so we've even seen – in the older days, we saw times where, in the doctor's office, if the environment wasn't carefully cleaned up, somebody could get measles without ever having been in the office at the same time as the person – the first child."

Please get vaccinated; also check with local hospital or facility before going to them and possible infecting others in waiting room or else where. Especially - if you have symptoms including rash, high fever, coughing & runny nose. (View picture and click links, for more info) This is a disease that's highly contagious via coughing & sneezing or close contact of person(s) having measles. Transmission has occurred in community and healthcare settings, including homes, childcare centers, schools, hospitals, emergency rooms, and physicians’ offices. Unvaccinated children tend to be clustered geographically and/or socially, augmenting the risk for outbreaks. Which seems to be very important for those not old enough to be vaccinated yet?

SEE COMMENTS ALSO FOR UPDATES: Free clinics, locations and times that provide vaccination or important info within your area.

NOTE: This is the Original report stat from CDC on 5.01.2008 (These stats below, “do not” include the Arizona, Washington & Wisconsin newest cases at this time, that have occurred since the report was released on 5.01.2008 for stats from January 01, 2008 to April 25, 2008)

Of all 64 cases, 63 were not vaccinated or unknown vaccination status, 1 having been vaccinated (2 doses), 59 occurred among U.S. residents, 54 of the 64 were associated with importation of measles from other countries (associated with travel to other countries) and 14 patients were hospitalized; no deaths have been reported. Those spreading measles were infected in Switzerland and Israel, both of which have larger outbreaks, as well as in India, Belgium, Italy and likely China and Japan, the CDC said.

The 64 patients ranged in age from 5 months to 71 years and of the 59 U.S. patients

13 were under 12 months old
 (Too young to be vaccinated routinely)

7 were 12–15 months old
. (Not yet vaccinated)

21 were 16 months to 19 years old. (14 (67%) claimed vaccination exemptions due to religious or personal beliefs
. 7 (all under 5 years of age) were unvaccinated due to delay or missed opportunities.)

18 were over 20 years old (14 had unknown or undocumented vaccination status. 2 (who acquired measles in Europe) claimed personal belief or religious exemptions. 1 had evidence of immunity through birth before 1957. 
1 had documentation of receiving two doses of MMR vaccine).

Other related stories on NowPublic:

Georgia Health Dept. looking for those who attended Church Conf. in Washington State.

18th confirmed Measles case, school cancelled, possible exposure in Seattle, King County Area

Measles Confirmed in Canada - Guelph & Toronto, Ontario area.  23 cases to date.

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