Measles Cases Reported in Illinois, Wisconsin

Illinois reported its first measles case since 2019, which involved an unvaccinated person with international exposure.

Pictured here is the measles virus, paramyxoviridae from the Morbillivirus family. Screenshot/CNN

Residents in Wisconsin and Illinois have been urged to ensure that they have been vaccinated against measles following the report of measles cases in those states, according to the states’ health departments.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said on Oct. 13 that a measles case had been detected in Cook County, which involved an unvaccinated person who had exposure during international travel.

The patient started to develop a rash on Oct. 9, and the IDPH said the infectious period would be between Oct. 5 and Oct. 13. This is the first reported measles case in Illinois since 2019, the department stated.

“This first reported case of measles in Illinois since 2019 is a reminder that this disease can be prevented with up-to-date vaccination,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement.

“Two doses of measles vaccine are 97 percent effective in preventing measles. However, as we saw this week, it still can affect those who are unvaccinated.

“I urge everyone to make sure they and their family members are up-to-date on measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine and all other age-appropriate immunizations,” Dr. Vohra added.

In Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Health Department reported on Oct. 14 a measles case involving a Milwaukee resident who works in Waukesha County. The department said that almost 600 people may have been exposed as the patient had visited multiple locations.

“We were able to get lists of names of folks that they thought were at each of those locations during those time frames, that we’ve gone contract tracing,” Mike Totoraitis, City of Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner, told Fox 6.

Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus, which can be easily spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). People can also get sick when they get exposed to mucus or saliva from an infected person.

Measles infects the respiratory tract, which can cause serious complications like pneumonia and encephalitis. Common symptoms of measles include high fever, cough, runny nose, rashes, and watery eyes.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that a total of 29 measles cases have been reported in 16 jurisdictions as of Sept. 29. In 2022, there were 121 cases, up from 49 in 2021 and 13 in 2020.

Many outbreaks were recorded in 2019 when more than 1,200 cases were confirmed.

The CDC issued a health advisory in June urging people to “be on alert for cases of measles” and advising parents to make sure their families are up-to-date on the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

According to CDC recommendations, all U.S. residents who are six months old or older “without evidence of immunity” should receive the MMR vaccine prior to traveling internationally.

The vaccine can be administered in one or two doses. A single dose provides 93 percent protection against the virus, while two doses provide 97 percent protection, the agency said.

Most children receive the MMR vaccine when they are young. The first dose is typically administered between the ages of 12 months and 15 months. The second dose is typically given when a child is between the ages of 4 and 7.

Childhood vaccination rates have been declining in recent years, including rates of MMR vaccination. The IDPH stated that vaccination rates in the United States have dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing the likelihood of more cases of vaccine-preventable diseases.

“Most people are vaccinated routinely in childhood and are not at high risk. Of most concern are people who have not been vaccinated,” the IDPH stated.

In a joint report released in November, the CDC and WHO found that a record high of nearly 40 million children missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021 due to hurdles created by COVID-19 vaccines. The report also underlined that the world is at risk of major measles outbreaks due to tens of millions of infants missing their vaccinations.

Lorenz Duchamps contributed to this report.