OCONTO COUNTY (NBC 26) — Wisconsin health officials have confirmed nine measles cases in Oconto County, all connected to close personal contact among a small group of people.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says the first case was linked to travel to an area with known measles activity. No other details about the exposure have been released at this time. However, DHS says there’s no indication the virus is circulating.
“There’s no evidence that this is spreading outside of that group,” said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer with DHS.“We believe that we have a very complete picture of who has been exposed, and all of those individuals have been contacted.”The measles cluster is the largest Wisconsin has seen in decades. But officials say they are confident in the containment so far.
“There’s no evidence that this is a larger outbreak or that there’s ongoing spread in schools or in public places,” Westergaard said.“Right now, there are no public exposure sites identified.”
If you’re not sure whether you or your child is up to date on the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, health officials recommend checking with your doctor or local health department.
You can also check your vaccination status in the Wisconsin Immunization Registry.
If you develop any symptoms of measles, stay home, do not go to work, school, shopping, or use public transportation, and call your doctor’s office or clinic before visiting, so they can take precautions to protect others.
Symptoms of measles usually begin 10–12 days after exposure and may include:
- Runny nose
- High fever (may be greater than 104°F)
- Tiredness
- Cough
- Red, watery eyes or conjunctivitis (“pink eye”)
- A red rash with raised bumps that starts at the hairline and spreads to the arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin
Health officials say there are no known public exposure sites connected to these cases.
If you’re not sure whether you or your child is up to date on the MMR vaccine, they recommend checking with your doctor or local health department.
