TRAVERSE CITY — Health officials have confirmed the first case of measles in Grand Traverse County since 2019, the Grand Traverse County Health Department announced Tuesday.
According to the June 18 news release, the case involves a county resident who was exposed to an out-of-state traveler with a confirmed measles infection. There are currently no known public exposure sites related to the case, and those who may have been in contact with the individual have been notified, according to the department.
“This case is a reminder of how easily measles can spread and the importance of vaccination,” said Mike Lahey, health officer for the Grand Traverse County Health Department. “The vaccine is highly effective, and we strongly encourage our community to educate themselves about their immunization status and to get vaccinated if they are not protected.”
Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease spread through direct contact or airborne transmission. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. Health officials warn that nearly 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to measles will become infected.
Symptoms typically appear 7 to 14 days after exposure but can take up to 21 days to develop. They include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, white spots inside the mouth, and a blotchy red rash that usually begins on the face before spreading to the rest of the body.
Infected individuals are contagious up to four days before and four days after the rash appears. Anyone experiencing symptoms should call their health care provider before seeking in-person treatment to avoid exposing others.
The health department said that as of right now, there has been no known public exposure to the community.
Most cases in the state this year have been in Southwest and Southeast Michigan.
“We were very lucky that, you know, over the years, we don’t see very many cases of measles in our area or in Michigan because the vaccine is so highly effective. But unfortunately, what we’ve seen in Michigan and across the U.S. is that vaccination rates have decreased and so we are starting to see more cases. So, we weren’t too surprised, we’ve been preparing for this,” said Money-Bruno.
The Grand Traverse County Health Department said the start of the summer travel season could fuel the spread of measles even more.
People are leaving and returning to our community. So, it’s something that can very easily happen if we have an unvaccinated individual or we have a traveler that comes to our area who becomes contagious with measles. That’s why we were making a push last week about just making everyone aware that we are seeing so many cases across the U.S. and world, and it’s only an airplane ride away into our community,” said Money-Bruno.
Doctors said the measles is highly contagious and can live in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area. The best defense against it remains vaccination.
The Grand Traverse County Health Department is holding a walk-in measles vaccination clinic this Friday at the health department.
To increase vaccine accessibility, the health department will hold a walk-in measles vaccination clinic Friday, June 20, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. at 2600 LaFranier Road in Traverse City.
For more information, residents can call the health department at 231-995-6131.