Measles education important

By Adam Tobias of the Daily Times staff
Thursday, April 17, 2008 12:15 PM CDT

Although there have not been any recent confirmed or suspected cases of the measles in Watertown, the local health department is working hard to get the word out on the proper ways to prevent the disease from spreading in the city.

“The prevention part is the No. 1 thing we should all do,” said city Health Officer Carol Quest. “We need to be properly vaccinated to prevent the spread of these preventable diseases.”

Since a measles outbreak began last week, health officials in southeastern Wisconsin have reported seven confirmed or suspected cases. In a separate case, an adult in Waukesha County has tested positive for rubella, which is also known as German measles.

Quest said health department officials are currently working with their providers to educate them on the disease itself and the types of diagnostic testing that should be done.

To help prevent the spread of the disease, the health department is also monitoring the school immunization rates of local children.

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“We get a report from the school as well as day-cares, so we work with those populations to keep the immunization rates up-to-date,” Quest said. “There are certainly different reasons as to why children are not up-to-date, but we need to continually educate our community on the importance of vaccines.”

The health department is not holding any special immunization clinics in the near future, but Quest said she would hold one if there was ever a need.

“There would be a measles clinic if there was a demand for it, but at this point it doesn't appear that there is a need for that,” Quest said. “But we certainly could do that if there became a need.”

She added the health department has an adequate number of vaccines for the community and she can always order more if the need arises.

According to the state Division of Public Health, the measles disease begins with coldlike signs and symptoms including a cough, runny nose, high temperature and red watery eyes. By the second day after onset, a red blotchy rash will appear at the hairline and spread down the body to the arms and legs. The rash will disappear in about five to six days.

Health officials said it takes between eight to 12 days for the coldlike symptoms to appear and 14 days for the rash to materialize. Measles can be spread from one day before the onset of coldlike symptoms and through the fourth day of the rash.

The disease spreads easily and rapidly through airborne droplets from coughing or sneezing and the only sure way to determine if an illness is measles is through a blood test, health officials said.

Anyone who shows symptoms of the measles disease should contact their physicians immediately, Quest said.

“You should call in advance because it is a communicable disease and in physician offices there are healthy people or immune-compromised people that we wouldn't want to be exposing,” Quest added.

If an individual in Watertown is suspected to have the measles, that person would be isolated until a correct diagnosis was made, Quest said.

“We would isolate that individual until we know for sure they either don't have it or they do have it,” she added. “If they do have it, we isolate that individual from the community for a period of time in their home.”

Health officials would also work with that individual to see if they recently came into contact with any other people.

Quest said there have been a few suspected cases of the measles in Watertown over the years, but there have not been any confirmed cases since she started working for the city's health department about a 10 years ago.

According to the state Division of Public Health, the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is recommended for all children at 12 to 15 months of age and again at 4 to 6 years of age. The two doses of vaccine normally provide lifelong immunity, health officials said.

“In the early '90s that vaccine required a booster,” Quest said. “We used to only give one vaccine, but since the '90s we have been giving two, and if you've had two vaccines you should be protected.”

Anyone with further questions about the measles disease or the proper steps for immunization should call the Watertown Health Department office at 262-8090.