Ind. health department confirms 13 measles cases- yikes!
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana health officials are working to contain an outbreak of measles that has sickened more than a dozen people in two counties, but more cases are likely as the list of places visited by those affected grows.
The three new cases confirmed Tuesday by the Indiana State Department of Health bring to 13 the total number of measles cases reported this month. Those affected include children and adults, and all of the patients are residents of Boone and Hamilton counties.
Additional cases are expected because the illness has an incubation period of up to three weeks. On Tuesday, Noblesville school officials notified parents that a middle school student had a suspected case of measles and took steps to contain the illness, including cleaning the school.
School spokeswoman Sharon Trisler said 98 percent of students in the district were vaccinated against the disease. The district has notified students who aren't and asked that they consider getting the shot.
Ken Severson, a spokesman for the health department, said all of the cases are connected to the initial case, which involved a person exposed by an undiagnosed sibling. That person and another who also contracted the illness visited the Super Bowl Village in downtown Indianapolis on Feb. 3, stopping at several local businesses as well as the open-air festivities.
Indiana officials notified health departments in New York and Massachusetts after the Super Bowl visitor was diagnosed. A spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that no additional cases have been linked to the Super Bowl exposure so far, but that could change in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the list of sites visited by people infected has grown to include 11 other places, including churches, grocery stores, an automotive plant, a funeral home and health clinics.
This year's outbreak comes a year after Indiana saw 14 cases of measles among unvaccinated members of an extended family in 2011.
Measles has largely been eradicated in the United States, which typically sees about 50 cases a year. Last year, the CDC reported 200 cases nationwide, the highest number since 1996.
Measles starts with cough-like symptoms and escalates with a high fever and full-body rash. The disease is highly contagious. Individuals born before 1957 and those who have received the vaccine are considered immune.
The disease is typically spread through contact with people from other countries, where vaccination rates are lower.
The state health department asks anyone with questions about the disease to call its new measles hotline at 1-877-826-0011 between 8:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Boy am I glad my son is vaccinated. We were not at the Superbowl, but I live less than 3 miles from Downtown, so we could've come into contact with it. I had them when I was little, so I am immune.
yikes!
School spokeswoman Sharon Trisler said 98 percent of students in the district were vaccinated against the disease. The district has notified students who aren't and asked that they consider getting the shot.
At least they are notifing the families. I just hope they are not pressuring them to get it and let the families make their own decisions. That other post about the family taking the school to court made me wonder how its going.
They thought they were going to have to close 2 schools in Noblesville today, but they didn't have to. I guess it is in the schools and they are trying to talk the parents of the unvaccinated to get vaccinated. This was all caused by an unvaccinated child being exposed to an illegal foreigner that had it.
Quoting Vertical15:
yikes!
School spokeswoman Sharon Trisler said 98 percent of students in the district were vaccinated against the disease. The district has notified students who aren't and asked that they consider getting the shot.
At least they are notifing the families. I just hope they are not pressuring them to get it and let the families make their own decisions. That other post about the family taking the school to court made me wonder how its going.
Upon further research, regarding that other story. The posted article was a bit misleading. It was not one family, one incident. It is a state law, that some families have banned together and are challenging.
Quoting new_mom808:
Quoting Vertical15:
yikes!
School spokeswoman Sharon Trisler said 98 percent of students in the district were vaccinated against the disease. The district has notified students who aren't and asked that they consider getting the shot.
At least they are notifing the families. I just hope they are not pressuring them to get it and let the families make their own decisions. That other post about the family taking the school to court made me wonder how its going.
Upon further research, regarding that other story. The posted article was a bit misleading. It was not one family, one incident. It is a state law, that some families have banned together and are challenging.
Well, thats good if they are challenging the state to change the laws and not the school.
That is kind of scary, especially with the whole Superbowl exposure thing...
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- gacgbaker
on Feb. 15, 2012 at 9:43 AM