A report from public health nurse Erika Nosera of the Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency's Public Health Branch said Mendocino County has had three confirmed cases of measles so far this year.
Those three cases in Mendocino County are among 11 cases reported statewide so far this year, health officials said. Nearly all of the cases have been linked to travelers to or from Europe and Asia, as well as their contacts.
The Monday report from Mendocino County said more than 5,000 cases have been reported this year in France, where one patient died and eight had neurological complications.
In the case of Mendocino County, a French traveler visiting the coast became ill and the infection was spread to two unimmunized county residents, Nosera's report explained.
Lake County has so far not experienced any measles cases, according to Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait.
“We've been spared,” said Tait, noting that it's been several years since a case has been reported locally, which she attributed to vaccinations.
However, measles appears to be having a resurgence, in part, due to people not being vaccinated against the disease. “Some people are resisting vaccination for personal reasons and that leaves them vulnerable,” she said.
The World Health Organization reported that the United States has had 44 confirmed measles cases so far this year, compared to 64 confirmed cases in 2010.
The last time California experienced a severe measles epidemic due to an imported case and due to low vaccination rates was 1988 to 1990 when 16,400 Californians contracted measles, 3,390 people were hospitalized and 75 died, according to Nosera's report.
The highly contagious viral disease is spread through coughs and sneezes, and in indoor settings the virus can stay in the air for as long as two hours after the infected person has left the area, Mendocino County health officials reported.
Symptoms begin with a fever that lasts a couple of days followed by a cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes and a rash that typically appears first on the face, along the hairline, and behind the ears and then affects the rest of the body. Nosera reported that infected people are usually contagious for about eight days – four days before their rash starts and four days after.
Those who think they have measles should call their doctor first before entering a health facility and potentially infecting others, Nosera said.
Complications from measles can include diarrhea, ear infection and pneumonia, Nosera reported. Children younger than age 5 and adults over 20 are more susceptible to complications from measles.
While most cases come through fine, “It can be very serious occasionally,” said Tait.
Mendocino County health officials said death can occur from severe complications.
Nosera said children should get their first dose of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at 12 months of age or later, with the second dose usually administered before the child begins kindergarten.
Anyone born since 1957 who has not had two doses of vaccine may still be vulnerable to measles and should ask their doctor about getting immunized, she said.
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