An outbreak of measles that began last month in the Philadelphia area has resulted in at least eight diagnosed cases. The most recent two cases were confirmed last week Monday.
The outbreak originated when a child who had recently traveled to another country was admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with an infection, later identified as measles. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health categorizes the case as “imported,” but the specific country of origin has not been disclosed.
Following the initial case, the measles infection spread to three additional individuals at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Among them, two were already hospitalized at CHOP for unrelated reasons.
The affected individuals included a parent and a child. The child, who had not been vaccinated, and the parent, who was offered preventive medication typically given to unvaccinated individuals after exposure to measles, declined the treatment, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Disregarding quarantine instructions, the child was sent to daycare on December 20 and 21, according to the health department. Subsequently, at the daycare facility named Multicultural Education Station, four additional people became infected.
The daycare administrator was reported as unavailable for comment by a staff member. The health department indicated that none of the diagnosed individuals had immunity to measles.
This suggests they never received a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine or had not previously contracted measles. As a result of the outbreak, four more individuals have been admitted to the hospital in addition to the two who were already hospitalized, according to the health department.
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Given the highly contagious nature of measles, Philadelphia hospitals are closely monitoring for new cases. An infected person can potentially spread the virus to up to 90% of individuals nearby who are not immune. The contagious period lasts about eight days, including four days before the appearance of the disease’s characteristic rash and four days after.
The virus can also survive up to two hours in the air after an infected person leaves an area. “With those who’ve had a rash, certainly we’ve been on the highest alert, but we are asking everybody about exposure to people with measles,” said Dr. Doug Thompson, chief medical officer at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.
According to Thompson, the hospital has treated three measles patients in the ongoing outbreak, aged between 1 and 2 years old. Notably, none of them had been vaccinated.
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Typical symptoms of measles include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. Subsequently, a red, blotchy rash may develop three to five days later.
In Philadelphia, at least 93% of children have been fully vaccinated against measles by age 6. The vaccination schedule involves the first dose between 12 and 15 months, with the second dose administered between 4 and 6 years old.
For individuals exposed to measles and lacking immunity, receiving a vaccine within 72 hours can still prevent infection. Another preventive measure is an injection known as immune globulin, which delivers antibodies. However, it must be administered within six days of exposure to be effective.
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