State health officials have confirmed more cases of measles in California as the result of an outbreak that began last month, but Lake County's health officer said the illness has not appeared locally.
Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the California Department of Public Health and state health officer, said that as of Wednesday local public health officials have confirmed a total of 59 cases of measles in California residents since the end of December 2014.
“If you have symptoms, and believe you may have been exposed, please contact your health care provider. Unless you have an emergency, it is best to contact your health care provider by phone to prevent spread in doctor’s offices.” said Chapman. “The best way to prevent measles and its spread is to get vaccinated.”
Measles – a highly infectious, airborne disease – was eliminated in the United States in 2000.
However travelers who visit areas of the world where measles is prevalent have led to the illness' occasional and limited reappearance in this country. In recent years there have been large measles outbreaks in Western Europe, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Philippines, health officials said.
Of the confirmed cases in California to date, 42 have been linked to an initial exposure in December at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Chapman said.
The confirmed cases include five Disney employees. In addition, CDPH said other cases have visited Disney parks while infectious in January.
Chapman reported that the California measles patients reside in 11 local health jurisdictions in Southern California and the Bay Area.
In Southern California, cases have been reported in Los Angeles (9), Orange (20), Riverside (4), San Bernardino (3), San Diego (10) and Ventura (3) counties, and the cities of Long Beach (2) and Pasadena (1), while in the Bay Area measles has been confirmed in Alameda (5), San Mateo (1) and Santa Clara (1) counties, according to a CDPH report on the measles outbreak.
Of those 59 cases, 42 are epidemiologically linked to Disneyland, while the remaining 17 have no known epidemiological link, the state reported.
Patients range in age from 7 months to 70 years, according to CDPH.
Vaccination status is documented for 34 of the 59 cases. Of the 34, CDPH said 28 were unvaccinated, one had received one dose and five had received two or more doses of MMR vaccine.
Besides California, several measles cases related to Disneyland have been reported, including three in Utah, two in Washington, and one each in Colorado and Oregon, and one in neighboring Mexico, according to CDPH reports.
Local health departments and CDPH continue to investigate reported cases.
Several “secondary” cases in persons exposed to the initial group have been reported. CDPH said secondary cases are common with measles.
As with the first group of cases, there is a risk of additional transmission in places where the secondary cases have been while infectious. CDPH said persons can be infectious for a few days prior to developing symptoms of measles and may feel well enough to be out and about potentially exposing others.
In addition, CDPH said public health officials are continuing to contact persons exposed to measles cases to determine their vaccination history and implement strategies to prevent spread.
CDPH said the situation is ongoing, and it expects to receive additional reports of measles cases.
Lake County Health Officer Karen Tait told Lake County News that there have been no reports of measles in the county thus far, “and I'm happy about that.”
She said the outbreak “really raises concerns,” and with the cases having been transmitted at a place like Disneyland, Tait said it makes the point that a person can be exposed to such illnesses anywhere, at any time.
“It's just a good reason to be vaccinated,” she said.
Tait added, “you can see what happens if you have susceptible people in the population.”
Measles typically begins with fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, and within a few days a red rash appears, usually first on the face and then spreading downward to the rest of the body, health officials said.
CDPH recommends that any patient with a measles-compatible illness who has recently visited venues where international travelers congregate – such as theme parks or airports – be considered as having a “plausible exposure” to measles.
Health officials maintain that vaccination is the most important strategy to prevent measles. Two doses of the measles-containing MMR vaccine are more than 99 percent effective in preventing measles.
Measles vaccines have been available in the United States since 1963, and CDPH said two doses have been recommended since 1989.
If you are unsure of your vaccination status, CDPH urges you to check with your doctor to have a test to check for measles immunity or to receive vaccination.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.