Public health officials encourage people to stay informed as measles outbreaks spread

Public health officials say there is no risk to the public after two cases of the measles were reported in Iowa. However, they do urge residents to check advisories before traveling to prepare themselves against areas where measles are rampant.

The two cases of measles reported in Iowa were in two unvaccinated children in the same household in Northeast Iowa and confirmed by the State Hygenic Lab in April. The individuals recently traveled to Israel where they contracted the illness. They were put under quarantine and there is no public health risk related to these two cases.

This is the first case of the measles in Iowa since 2011, contributing to the over 700 confirmed cases in the U.S. since Jan. 1, said Shelley Van Dorin, director of Henry County Public Health.

'It's so contagious that even before you get sick, you could have contaminated a whole group of unvaccinated people,” Van Dorin said. 'It spreads through the air and remains for up to two hours after you leave.”

Anyone who is unvaccinated and is exposed to the measles has about a 90 percent chance of coming down with the measles, said Danielle Pettit-Majewski, with Washington County Public Health.

'If you have any active case of the measles, anywhere you go that disease lives on surfaces for two hours after you leave,” Pettit-Majewski said. 'People are contagious for four days prior to being symptomatic and may be spreading it before they know they have it.”

The best way to prevent the measles is to get vaccinated, Pettit-Majewski said. The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, is done in two doses. Typically, most people receive their first dose between 12 and 15 months old. They get their second dose between the ages of four and six. Pettit-Majewski said that adults born before 1957 probably had measles as a child and are less likely to contract the disease today. However, they can be vaccinated just to be sure.

'It's a myth that it's going to give kids autism or have ill effects,” Van Dorin said. 'Vaccines are one of the most studied types of medicine, and the side effects are very minimal. It's less harmful than contracting measles. There's just no comparison. You might get a little redness around the (injection) site, a little fever, but for the most part side effects are short lived and you won't get any of the complications that comes with the measles.”

Outbreaks seen in the U.S. have been contained to pockets where a large population of the community is unvaccinated or undervaccinated, Pettit-Majewski said.

'That's what we see in Washington, Oregon and New York with big clusters and outbreaks,” Pettit Majewski said. 'It's concerning because measles was thought to be eradicated in the U.S. 20 years ago.”

Van Dorin said that measles can cause people to get extremely sick and can lead to complications including pneumonia, swelling in the brain, middle ear infections, diarrhea and death. Other symptoms are a cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, nasal congestion, a fever higher than 101 degrees, and the most telling a rash that is black and red that typically starts at a person's head and goes down their body.

Pettit-Majewski said that if someone thinks they may have contracted measles, to call their health care provider instead of going to the Emergency Room or walking into the clinic to prevent it from spreading.

Pettit-Majewski said anyone traveling should check travel advisories to see if they are going to a country where measles is widely spread. Van Dorin said if someone is traveling with a child under six months old, they should get the first dose of the MMR vaccination.

Pettit-Majewski said Washington County Public Health provides a vaccine information statement to anyone who comes to their office for immunizations.

'We want to make sure people are aware what vaccination prevents against,” Pettit-Majewski said. 'If you have measles or are unvaccinated and have had contact with a person with measles, you have to be isolated for 21 days. That's 21 days of missing work or school. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself from infections disease.”

Pettit-Majewski said that getting vaccinated doesn't just protect children from diseases, but it also protects people who are immunocompromised like someone going through chemotherapy.

'We don't want to spread fear, we want to spread information,” Pettit-Majewski said.

Immunization clinics are offered at Henry County Public Health and Washington County Public Health.