School districts have eyes on measles case in Wisconsin
Health officials are working to identify people who might have been exposed
MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WBAY) - Several school districts, including those in our area, are keeping a close eye on a measles situation in southern Wisconsin.
There is one confirmed case in the Milwaukee-Waukesha area and several other suspected cases awaiting lab results.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is working with the City of Milwaukee Health Department and the Waukesha County Health and Human Sservices to identify people who might have been exposed.
According to DHS, measles symptoms include a runny nose; high fever; fatigue; cough; red, watery eyes, or pinkeye. Patients may also have raised bumps that start at the hairline and move to the arms and legs 3 to 5 days after symptoms appear.
The virus can cause serious health problems, such as pneumonia, brain damage and deafness. It can potentially be deadly.
Measles was officially eliminated from the United States in 2000 through widespread vaccination, but outbreaks still occur among unvaccinated people and in areas of the world that don’t have the ability to widely distribute vaccines.
Doctors say the best way to prevent getting measles is to get the vaccine.
Two doses of the vaccine, with the first dose at the age of 12 to 15 months and the second dose around age 4, are 97% effective at preventing the disease.
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