The level of measles cases in Michigan is the highest it has been in more than 20 years.
Fifteen cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory infection have been confirmed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
While the cases are alarming health officials, Dr. Jennifer Morse, M.D., medical director for Central Michigan District Health Department and District Health Department No. 10, said the cases appearing in Michigan have been brought in through international travel and secondary contact with family members who are not vaccinated.
Morse said there are large increases in measles cases being experienced in many South American countries as well as Western Pacific countries.
“The cases that have been brought to Michigan through travel have come from India, Italy, the Philippines, Israel and from another individual who traveled throughout Europe and was not vaccinated,” she said. “Many of these other countries have high rates of measles. This year so far, there have been 173,000 cases throughout the world. At the same time last year, there were 99,000 cases.”
MORSE
As cases of measles arrived in Michigan, Morse said contact with family members who have not been vaccinated has spread the infection, which can result in hospitalization, pneumonia, encephalitis and death.
The illness has a 10- to 21-day incubation period and initially presents with a high fever, red eyes, cough, runny nose, photophobia and is followed by a red, raised body rash starting on the head and face that then progresses to the rest of the body. Individuals may be contagious for a few days before they present with symptoms, which increases the potential of exposing others to the infection.
“At least eight of the cases are from secondary contact with a person who got it from traveling,” Morse said. “Several of them were hospitalized.
“Luckily, there were no hospital contacts who got sick. As a health professional, you always worry about other sick people in a hospital and the possibility of an outbreak at a hospital.”
Morse said the easiest way to prevent the infection is by vaccination.
“It’s a two-shot series, with the first dose being administered at 12 months of age or shortly after,” she said. “The second dose is between 4 to 6 years.”
Morse said health officials also have other preventative measures for people with suppressed immune system caused by HIV or cancer.
“It’s important people talk with their health care provider or the health department to see what will work best for them,” she said. “The biggest risks right now are travel and making sure you’ve had both of your vaccines.”
While measles remains a concern in Michigan, Morse said the world is experiencing an outbreak of the infection.
“There are some countries throughout Europe where there are high levels of unvaccinated people and others who are very resistance people to vaccinations,” she said. “Because of the higher vaccination resistance rates, there also tends to be some hesitancy to vaccinations.”
Morse said there are tens of thousands of deaths each year from measles, but the U.S. has not had one since 2015.
“Measles is potentially fatal,” she said. “Because we don’t see that many cases here in the U.S., and don’t see too many deaths as the death rate is about 2 out of every 1,000, there are many people who don’t worry about it. That is unfortunate, because it can still happen.”