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A Macomb county child has contracted measles — the sixth known case in Michigan this year as the virus continues to circulate throughout the country.
Macomb now joins Wayne, Oakland and Washtenaw as the counties reporting at least one case of measles this year — the first cases since 2019. Oakland County reported the first case in February, an infection authorities at the time said may have been linked to international travel.
Officials with the Macomb County Health Department warned the public of possible exposure to the highly contagious virus in two locations, according to a report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
- Motel 6, 8300 Chicago Road, Warren, on June 26.
- Children’s Hospital of Michigan Troy Emergency Room, 350 W. Big Beaver Rd., on June 30, from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Anyone who was at these locations at those times and who experiences symptoms should contact their health-care provider. After exposure, symptoms usually begin within seven to 14 days, but can appear up to 21 days later.
Symptoms include:
- High fever that may spike to more than 104 degrees
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Tiny white spots on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth
- A red, raised, blotchy rash that usually starts on the face
Patients or parents of a child with these symptoms should call ahead to a medical establishment so staff can make sure others are not exposed.
Local health departments are monitoring staff exposed at the Motel 6 and children’s hospital locations, and the Macomb County Health Department is tracing other possible exposure locations.
Vaccination remains the best way to stop the spread of the highly contagious measles virus, said Dr. Claudia Richardson, medical director at Detroit Health Department.
The virus was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, meaning that it was not constantly present. But in 2019, nearly 1,300 cases of measles were reported in 31 states — the greatest number since 1992. In Michigan, 46 cases were reported by the end of that year.
As of July 11, 167 measles cases had been reported in 24 states so far in 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While the overall number is low, the virus is highly contagious. Without immunity, about 9 in 10 people who are exposed to the virus will also be infected. Among unvaccinated people, about 1 in 5 who get measles will be hospitalized, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Disease.
That worries health officials who have watched childhood vaccination rates drop since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Richardson noted that “most people are vaccinated. There are some that are not (vaccinated), but most are, so that is the good news in this scenario.”
Immunity to the virus is built with the vaccine known as the MMR, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. A first dose is routinely given at about 12 months of age, and the second when a child is about 4 years old.
Vaccination rates, though, have been dropping. Statewide, vaccine coverage for both doses for children between 4 and 6 years old dropped from 89.4% in 2017 to 84% in 2022, according to MDHHS.
Adults born before 1957 or those who have evidence of prior measles illness also are considered immune.