Measles case in Dane County first in 24 years

Symptoms of measles, including fever, cough, runny nose, pink eye and a telltale rash, typically don't develop until 10 days or longer after exposure. People with measles remain infectious for about nine days.

The state Department of Health Services didn't release any details about the adult sickened, including whether the person had received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, or MMR.

Cases of measles have been rare in Wisconsin due to relatively high vaccination rates historically, but measles is highly contagious and can cause serious health complications for those who are not vaccinated, DHS said. One case was reported last year in the state, in October in Milwaukee County.

In the previous decade, Wisconsin had no cases, with two exceptions: 2014, when there were two, and 2021, when there were 22 cases in an outbreak at Fort McCoy among people who recently traveled from Afghanistan during the U.S. government's emergency evacuation efforts.

Dane County's last case was in 2000, said Morgan Finke, spokesperson for Public Health Madison and Dane County.

The best way to protect against measles is to get the MMR vaccine, DHS said. Two doses of the measles vaccine are 97% effective at preventing the disease, officials said.

Dr. Stephanie Schauer, immunization program manager for DHS, said she's worried about a decline in uptake of the MMR vaccine. About 82% of 2-year-olds had received their first dose as of last year, down from 88% in 2013. The first dose is recommended at 12-15 months, with a second dose recommended at 4 to 6 years.

"If measles is introduced into a community, that's not a high enough rate to stop the spread," Schauer said. To prevent outbreaks, more than 95% of people need to be vaccinated, she said.

Across the country, unvaccinated kids are falling sick with the once-eradicated measles virus.

The Dane County case comes amid an increase in measles cases nationally, with 125 cases reported this year in 17 states, including Michigan and Minnesota, and in cities such as New York City and Philadelphia. Chicago has had the largest outbreak, with 64 cases as of Friday. The outbreaks threaten the United States' status of having declared measles eliminated from the country in 2000.

Among the 125 cases, 83% were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccinated status. More than half of the people have been hospitalized and nearly half are children younger than age 5.

In all of last year, 58 cases were reported nationwide. Significant outbreaks occurred in 2014, with 667 cases, and in 2019, with 1,274 cases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributes increases in measles to declining MMR coverage among children and a global uptick in cases, leading to infections among people returning to the U.S. from other countries.

Before a measles vaccine became available in 1963, an estimated 48,000 people were hospitalized from measles and 400 to 500 people died in the U.S. each year, the CDC said.

For people not up to date with the MMR vaccine, getting the shot within 72 hours of being exposed to measles may give some protection, DHS said.

People who think they may have measles should call their doctor's office or clinic before visiting a location.

Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious health complications for those who are not vaccinated.

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