More than 150 exposed to measles in Iowa County

MARENGO — More than 150 people were contacted by the Iowa County Public Health Department last month about a possible exposure to measles after a Linn County resident was diagnosed with the illness.

Iowa County Health Department Director Lorinda Sheeler said during a meeting of the board of health July 30 that she got a call from the state about 4:30 p.m. on a Friday that a resident of Linn County was diagnosed with measles and had been infectious while in Iowa County.

Sheeler and her clinical manager and registered nurse Abbie Schaffner spent the weekend tracking down people who had been in contact with the infected person, starting with 20-30 people.

Eventually the list of close contacts swelled to 157, and the state office contacted most of those people because the Iowa County office didn’t have enough staff to do so, said Sheeler.

When a measles infection comes to light, health officials contact everyone who had close contact with the patient to determine their “presumptive immunity.” People who need post-exposure prophylaxis, which Sheeler said is one dose of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, have to receive that vaccine within 72 hours of exposure, Sheeler said.

Sheeler said some people were angry when the health department called and asked for proof of vaccination against the measles. They didn’t want to give out personal information.

Some people thought the call was a joke, said Sheeler, but others were cooperative, and a handful received MMR shots.

Anyone born before 1957 is considered immune to measles, said Sheeler. Health officials assume they were exposed as children and are therefore immune.

Anyone born after 1957 who has been exposed and can’t provide documentation showing their vaccination is asked to quarantine for 21 days, said Sheeler.

According to Mayo Clinic, measles, also called rubeola, is caused by a virus that spreads easily through the air and settles on surfaces. Most people recover from measles in about 10 days, Mayo Clinic says, and it usually doesn't cause long-term medical issues.

But measles can be serious or deadly, especially for children younger than five years of age and people with severely weakened immune systems, according to Mayo Clinic. A vaccine can prevent measles infection.

Because of vaccination, measles hasn't been common in the United States for more than two decades. Often, measles cases in the U.S. come from outside the country. Outbreaks are more common among people who are not vaccinated, the Mayo Clinic says.

According to the Mayo Clinic, measles symptoms show up around 7 to 14 days after contact with the virus. Fever as high as 105 degrees, a dry cough, a runny nose and red, watering eyes are usually the first symptoms.

Two or three days later, tiny white spots pay appear inside the mouth and a day or two after that a rash will usually appear.

A person with measles can spread the virus four days before the rash appears and four days after, according to the Mayo Clinic. Measles spreads easily; about 90% of people who haven't had measles or haven't been vaccinated will become infected after exposure to measles.

As of July 29, a total of 1,333 confirmed measles cases had been reported in 2025 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three deaths have been confirmed.

Anyone who has concerns about measles may call the Iowa County Public Health Department, Sheeler said.