Rhode Island Department of Health announces first case of measles since 2013

Saturday January 18, 2025

GoLocalProv News Team

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is informing the public that a confirmed case of measles has been identified in Rhode Island.

There have been other suspected cases in recent years.

This is the first confirmed case of measles in Rhode Island since 2013.

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It involved a young, unvaccinated child who had recently traveled abroad. This child was hospitalized at Hasbro Children’s earlier this month.

“The child is now home and doing well,” says RIDOH.

According to the World Health Organization:

Most deaths from measles are due to complications related to the disease.

Complications may include:

– blindness
– encephalitis (an infection causing swelling of the brain and potentially brain damage)
– severe diarrhea and associated dehydration
– ear infections
– serious breathing problems, including pneumonia.

Worldwide, in 2023, an estimated 107,500 people will have died from measles, most of them children under the age of five.

RIDOH declares:

This child had no contact with a school or daycare. The risk to the public is considered low. Contact tracing is underway. The limited number of patients and families who may have been in contact with this patient during this patient’s infectious period are being contacted and provided with instructions on steps to take to help prevent further spread. Per protocol, RIDOH is taking additional steps in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These include coordinating post-exposure treatment (prophylaxis) for all unvaccinated contacts.

The best way to protect yourself against measles is to use the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. MMR is safe and effective. Fortunately, Rhode Island has a very good MMR vaccination rate. Approximately 97% of Rhode Island kindergarten students have completed the MMR series.

“Measles is almost entirely preventable through vaccination,” said Health Director Jerry Larkin, MD. “Any parent or guardian who has a child over the age of one at home who has not been vaccinated against measles should speak to their child’s healthcare provider. For any family with insurance issues or difficulty accessing care, RIDOH can make the vaccine available free of charge. RIDOH would also like to thank the clinicians and team at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s for their quick actions and clinical expertise to mitigate risks to the community.

A first dose of MMR is usually given between 12 and 15 months of age and a second dose is usually given between 4 and 6 years of age. Anyone traveling internationally must be fully vaccinated before traveling. It is very important that infants aged 6 to 11 months receive 1 dose of MMR vaccine before international travel. Then they should receive 2 additional doses after their first birthday.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. The measles virus lives in the mucus of an infected person’s nose and throat. It is easily spread to others when an infected person coughs or sneezes or through close personal contact. According to the CDC, a room that a person with measles has been to should remain empty for up to 2 hours after they leave, because the measles virus can remain infectious in the air for that length of time.

Measles symptoms usually appear 7 to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Symptoms usually include:

– High fever
– Cough
– Runny nose
– Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
– Tiny white spots inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek
– A rash made up of large flat spots.

Infected people can transmit measles to others four days before the rash appears to four days after the rash appears.

A healthcare professional can offer a preliminary diagnosis of measles to patients with fever, rash, and other symptoms of measles. The RIDOH National Health Laboratory will confirm whether the rash is caused by measles by testing nose or throat swabs and looking for measles antibodies in the blood.

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