First measles case among LA County resident confirmed

LOS ANGELES (KESQ) - The first measles case in a Los Angeles County resident since August has been confirmed, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced today.   

The patient, who was not identified, had recently traveled internationally, according to the department. There are no identified public exposure locations in Los Angeles County outside of a health care setting. Affected health care facilities are directly notifying patients and staff who may have been exposed.  

Public Health is also identifying others who may have had contact with the case and verifying their measles vaccination status.   

"Measles is a serious respiratory disease that spreads easily through the air and on surfaces, particularly among people who are not already protected from it,'' Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County's health officer, said in a statement. "A person can spread the illness to others before they have symptoms, and it can take seven to 21 days for symptoms to show up after exposure. Measles can lead to severe disease in young children and vulnerable adults."  

There have been 588 confirmed cases of measles in the nation, the highest number of measles cases in January since the United States achieved elimination status in 2000, according to the department. Most of these cases are linked to an ongoing measles outbreak in South Carolina and one outbreak in Arizona and Utah.   

There have been two recent cases in Orange County, one in a young adult who had traveled internationally, the other in a toddler.   

Common symptoms of the virus are fever, cough, red-water eyes, and a rash that usually starts on the head and spread. The virus spreads through the air and by direct contact with someone who is infected. An infection can be spreading the virus four days before the rash is noticed.