(WWJ) If you thought spring would bring a reprieve, think again: Officials report there's been no slowdown in the number of measles cases diagnosed in southeast Michigan.
Amid an outbreak of the highly-contagious disease in Oakland County, a letter was sent home to parents of Derby Middle School students in Birmingham saying a student there had been diagnosed.
At latest count, the total number of cases in Oakland County is 38, with one also in Wayne County for a total of 39 in Michigan.
Infected people range in age from 8 months to 63 years, according to health officials, who have not offered any further details about the patients.
Oakland health officials say over 2,100 measles vaccines have been given since mid March.
Important to note: There are dozens of stores, schools and other public buildings identified as exposure locations, which means anyone who visited the locations on or around a certain date could have been infected. A complete list of known exposure sites in Oakland County are listed AT THIS LINK.
In addition, the Indiana State Department of Health has confirmed a case of measles unrelated to the Michigan outbreak in its state with exposure locations in Sturgis, Michigan. Anyone who visited these locations on March 31 may have been exposed and are urged to watch for signs of measles:
• Holy Angels Catholic Church – 402 S. Nottawa St., Sturgis, MI 49091 • San Miguel Grocery – 211 Jacob St., Sturgis, MI 49091• Walmart Supercenter – 1500 S. Centerville Road, Sturgis, MI 49091
What should you do? Measles is a highly contagious, spread by person-to-person contact and through the air. Doctors and the CDC say the best way to avoid catching measles is to make sure you are vaccinated.
For more information about measles, including how to get vaccinated, talk to your doctor or visit Michigan.gov/MeaslesOutbreak.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article erroneously characterized the Derby Middle School case as an additional measles case in Oakland County. Upon further investigation. WWJ has learned this case was already counted, which means the Michigan total remains 39.
