UPDATE: – The Allegheny County Health Department says it was informed on Thursday afternoon of a person who tested positive for measles was at UPMC Children’s Hospital Emergency Department (4401 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224) on two different occasions (August 12 and August 18)
"The individual was not from Allegheny County and the health department has confirmed with UPMC that the individual is currently isolated. For privacy reasons, the department cannot provide additional details about the individual," the Health Department says in a release.
UPMC says they’ve confirmed a case of measles in the Pittsburgh area. The first one since 2019.
Dr. Don Yealy, UPMC Endowed Chair of Emergency Medicine, tells KDKA Radio’s Marty Griffin that at least one person has tested positive for the viral illness in Allegheny County.
And, several other people are currently going through the process of testing.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases and Dr. Yealy says they are currently contact tracing around 100 people that could’ve been exposed in the area.
“What that means is we have to identify who was nearby this person when they were infected and what nearby means in the same room, within yards and you know, within, even many minutes of that person’s arrival,” said Dr. Yealy.
“As soon as one person gets it, it multiplies quickly,” added Yealy.
Across the state, 340 total cases have been reported across Pennsylvania this year, including 75 in the last seven days.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, 0 percent of the cases have come from fully vaccinated people.
Dr. Yealy is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated that already isn’t against measles and says the vaccine is highly-effective.
Most common symptoms of measles include:
Fever
Red rash on the skin
Lesions or soreness in your mouth
The United States was declared measles-free 20 years ago but due to low vaccination rates have been on the rise over the past several years.
Dr. Yealy, who says he hasn’t seen a measles case in 20 years, says the vaccine is not only highly-effective but also safe.
Learn more about measles here.
