DAYTON — One case of measles has been reported in Montgomery County.
To better understand how dangerous measles is, News Center 7's Malik Patterson speaks with the Medical Director of Dayton & Montgomery County Public Health tonight on News Center 7 at 11:00.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, there was one case of measles in 2023, but the number rose to 90 in 2022 due to an outbreak in central Ohio.
This is the first measles outbreak in Dayton since 2005.
“A lot of people forget about measles and how dangerous it is,” said Becky Thomas, medical director for the Dayton-Montgomery County Department of Public Health.
The case was confirmed in a child seen at Dayton Children's Hospital in the main campus emergency department on Jan. 29 and Jan. 31, according to a previous News Center 7 report.
Public Health issued a warning that others may have been infected.
“We spoke with the person's family to gain more information about other people in our community who may have been infected while this child was ill. '' Thomas said.
Thomas said people who were in the ER around the same time as the child were contacted.
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“We encourage those who are fully vaccinated to continue to monitor for measles symptoms. Symptoms may take up to 21 days to appear,” Thomas said.
Symptoms to watch for include cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and high fever.
“After three to five days, the rash starts on the face and can spread to the rest of the body,” Thomas says.
The disease can survive in the air for up to two hours, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
“Measles is highly contagious and can be spread to others through coughing or sneezing. When one person gets measles, it can also infect up to 90% of the non-immune people they come into contact with. become infected,” an ODH spokesperson said.
According to ODH, complications from measles are most common in children under 5 years of age, adults over 20 years of age, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.
Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County is now asking people to vaccinate their children.
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“The safest way to protect children from measles is to ensure they are vaccinated,” Thomas said.
ODH said it is not aware of any new cases but will continue to investigate in collaboration with the Dayton & Montgomery County Public Health Department and other affected health departments.
Click here for more information about measles.
