While the risk of a local measles outbreak is low, Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner issued a news release Friday saying anyone who attended a March 8 Disney on Ice performance at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati should watch for symptoms.
Warner said a person with measles attended the 7 p.m. performance of Disney on Ice in Cincinnati on March 8.
”Having attended Disney on Ice performances myself with my own daughters, I remember how big the US Bank Arena is,” Warner said. “The risk here for our community is likely very low, but I would ask that anyone who did attend this event on March 8th to please be watchful for any symptoms of a measles infection. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red/watery eyes and small raised bumps that form a rash. If you attended the March 8th Disney on Ice performance and have any of these symptoms, please call your health care provider for guidance on how to get tested and what to do next.”
For vaccinated individuals and those born before 1957, the risk of becoming sick after a measles exposure is very low. Vaccination provides about 97% protection against illness, Warner said.
“For unvaccinated populations, measles can spread very quickly,” Warner said. “Measles is one of the most contagious diseases that we know about, and will usually infect 90% of people exposed if those people are not vaccinated or have natural immunity.
“The measles virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace after an infected person leaves the area, so unlike many other diseases, direct contact with the sick person isn’t always necessary to allow this disease to spread.“
If you are unsure about your own immunity status, the CDC provides a tool that allows individuals to check their immunity status at: https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/faqs.html.
If you are interested in a measles vaccination, you can call the health department at 937-393-1941 to schedule an appointment.
To schedule online, visit: https://healow.com/apps/provider/generalhealthdistrict-highlandcounty-2788291?fbclid=IwAR0wUO1R0imSJbPJKeodag2vc3-ZsB8EKHmjIbrASRhDhCgM7NI7kvrOnp4.
Anyone with questions about measles or this particular exposure should call the Highland County Health Department at 937-393-1941 and ask to speak to a nurse.
According to a flyer that was sent with Warner’s news release, measles is a highly contagious virus that an be spread to others through coughing or sneezing. The virus can live in the air for up two two hours after an infected person leaves the area and can infect other people who breathe the contaminated air or touch contaminated surfaces. Infected people can spread the virus before they show symptoms. Symptoms usually appear 7-14 days after a person becomes infected with the virus.
Accord to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you are considered protected against measles if you have written documentation of at least one of the following:
* You received two doses of measles-containing vaccine, and you are: a school-aged child (grades K-12); an adult who will be in a setting that poses a high risk for measles transmission including students at post-high school institutions, health care professional and international travelers.
* You received one dose of measles-containing vaccine and you are: a preschool-aged child; an adult who will not be in a high risk transmission setting; a laboratory confirmed that you had measles at some point in your life; a laboratory confirmed you are immune to measles; you were born before 1957.
The MMR vaccine is a route vaccine that requires two doses. Children can get their first dose at 12 months and typically get their second dose between 4 and 6 years old. If you have received two doses of MMR vaccine for measles, your chance of getting it are very low.
