The Monroe County Health Department (MCHD), in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), has confirmed one case of measles in a Monroe County resident.
The case was confirmed through testing at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. MCHD is working with the individual and their healthcare providers to investigate the case and identify anyone who may have been exposed. Individuals identified as having a potential exposure will be contacted directly by public health officials.
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that can be spread from person to person through the air and can stay in the air for two hours after a sick person coughs or sneezes. It can cause serious health complications, including pneumonia, brain damage, deafness, and can sometimes be deadly.
Symptoms of measles typically appear approximately 10 to 12 days (with a range of 7–21 days) after exposure, and include:
Runny nose
High fever (may be greater than 104°F)
Tiredness
Cough
Red, watery eyes, or conjunctivitis (“pink eye”)
A red rash with raised bumps that starts at the hairline and moves to the arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin
If you develop any symptoms of measles, stay home (do not go to work, school, shopping, or use public transportation) and call your doctor’s office or clinic before visiting so they can take precautions so that other patients are not exposed to the virus.
The best way to protect against measles is to get vaccinated with the mumps, measles, rubella (MMR) vaccine. DHS recommends children receive two doses of MMR vaccine. The first dose should be given between 12–15 months of age and the second dose should be given between 4–6 years of age (before start of kindergarten). People born before 1957 are considered immune to measles. All other adults without laboratory evidence of immunity should have at least one dose of measles-containing vaccine. For more information on who should get a measles vaccine visit the DHS measles webpage.
Wisconsin residents can check the Wisconsin Immunization Registry at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/wir.htm or contact their health care provider or local health department to see if they or their child has been vaccinated to protect against measles. The MMR vaccine is available at area health care providers, local clinics, local health departments, and some pharmacies.
This is an ongoing investigation. For more information and to view statewide case counts, please visit The Wisconsin Department of Health Services website at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/immunization/measles.htm Follow the Monroe County Health Department Facebook and Instagram pages for more.
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