(WWJ) Washtenaw County is reporting its first confirmed case of the measles as the number of infected in Michigan continues to rise.
Issuing an update on the outbreak Monday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said is has confirmed two additional measles cases, bringing the state total to 41 for this year.
The newly confirmed cases are in Oakland and Washtenaw counties. In total, there are now 39 cases identified in Oakland County, one in Washtenaw County and one in Wayne County.
Infected individuals range in age from 8 months to 63 years old.
MDHHS is working closely with the Oakland County Health Division and Washtenaw County Health Department to identify possible exposure locations for these latest cases.
There are dozens of stores, schools and other public buildings already identified as exposure locations, which means anyone who recently visited the locations could have been infected. A complete list of known exposure sites and corresponding dates in Oakland County are listed at Oakgov.com/health.
Exposure locations are not yet available for the Washtenaw County case, officials said, and will be provided once available at washtenaw.org/health. There are no public exposure sites for the Wayne County case.
WHAT IS MEASLES?: Measles is a vaccine-preventable highly contagious disease, spread by person-to-person contact and through the air. The measles vaccine is highly effective and very safe, according to health officials. A single dose of measles vaccine protects about 95 percent of children; but after two doses, almost 100 percent are immune.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? Check the provided lists of exposure sites and watch for a rash, high fever and other symptoms if you visited any of those places. If you think you may have measles, DO NOT visit a doctor's office without calling first to let them know you're coming so they can take precautions against spreading the illness.
NOT VACCINATED? All Michiganders are urged to contact a healthcare providers or local health department about getting vaccinated for measles if they have not been vaccinated. A complete listing of local health departments is available at Malph.org/resources/directory.
The Washtenaw County Health Department is hosting a walk-in vaccination clinic April 9, from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and on April 10, 5 to 7 p.m. at 555 Towner Street in Ypsilanti. If you're not sure if you're vaccinated, your doctors should be able to help.
For more information about measles, talk to your doctor or visit Michigan.gov/MeaslesOutbreak.
