Health officials: More than 150 people potentially exposed to measles

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -West Virginia is reporting its first case of measles since 2009, according to the West Virginia Department of Health.

Patient tests positive for measles in Morgantown

The WVDOH said the first case of measles was an under-vaccinated person who had recently traveled internationally.

According to a press release from the WVDOH, 152 people were potentially exposed, and 62 of those lack documentation of adequate immunization against measles and are considered to be at high risk of infection.

New information released on Saturday from the WVDOH shows people who were potentially exposed lived in the following counties including Berkeley, Braxton, Brooke, Doddridge, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Kanawha, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Monongalia, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Preston, Putnam, Randolph, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Wetzel, and Wood.

Measles is a highly contagious and serious respiratory illness that can lead to complications such as pneumonia, swelling of the brain, and even death, according to the WVDOH.

The agency said measles starts with a fever and later leads to a cough, runny nose, and red rash. A rash of tiny red spots tends to break out around the head before spreading elsewhere on the body.

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