United States: A single case of measles exists in Colorado, according to an announcement by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) on Monday.
More Measles Case Confirmed
The infectious disease measles exists as a preventable serious condition with highly contagious properties. CDPHE reports that people who receive the standard two doses of the MMR vaccine experience 97% protection against measles infection.
The Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment, along with CDPHE, confirmed that an unvaccinated adult resident of Pueblo had measles.
A Mexican region suffered from an active measles outbreak when this person visited there recently.
All people who spent time in these two locations within the specified dates have the potential to have encountered measles, according to CDPHE findings, 9news.com reported.
CDPHE recommends that people who visit these areas at those times should check for symptoms continuously after exposure during the next 21 days with caution when attending crowded events.
Risk and Symptoms to Watch For
CDPHE reports that people exposed to measles develop symptoms between seven days and three weeks after exposure.
The signs of measles infection include fever with cough, runny nose, and red eyes, which develop before a distinctive rash begins to appear first on your face before spreading to other areas.
CDPHE advises anyone experiencing symptoms after participating at one of these locations to contact their health providers at either an urgent care facility or emergency department while explaining potential measles exposure.
Vaccination and Prevention
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment asserts that those who got the MMR vaccine or people who were born before 1957 typically have measles immunity, 9news.com reported.
Your monitoring for symptoms after possible exposure should be strictly controlled as an unvaccinated or partially vaccinated person during the 21-day period.
Additional cases can be prevented through MMR vaccination, provided it happens within 72 hours after someone gets exposed, according to CDPHE.