An international traveler has brought a new case of the measles to Michigan, state health officials confirmed Friday, bringing the total number of measles cases this year in the state to 44.
The traveler was a child under the age of 1 who had not yet been vaccinated, said Lynne Sutfin, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, noting that the age at which most children receive the first dose of the vaccine is 12 to 15 months.
The child traveled to Macomb and St. Clair counties, and potentially exposed others to the virus at:
- Costco: 27118 Gratiot, Roseville, from 5-7 p.m. May 11
- Saints Cyril and Methodius Roman Catholic Parish: 41233 Ryan Road, Sterling Heights, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. May 12
Because the virus is so highly contagious — it can live in the air for two hours after an infected person has left the room — health officials say it is important for people who visited those exposure sites during those time periods to watch for measles symptoms.
Read the full story here.