First case of measles confirmed in Ohio since 2017

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSAZ) – Kathy Plumley raised three children and when it was time to go back to school, there was one thing that still worried her.

"It's one of the things I've always mastered is making sure my children get vaccinated," she said.

Although not all of Plumley's children are in school, she now has two grandchildren who will be going there soon.

But the recent measles outbreak across the United States worries.

"They're not old enough to go to school, but what will happen when they're ready to go to school?" It's a scary thought, "Plumley said.

On Friday, the Ohio Department of Health announced the first confirmed case of measles since 2017 in Stark County.
The infected young adult had just visited a state affected by an outbreak.

Angela Doyle of the Lawrence County Department of Health said that many of the outbreaks in the United States began with an international trip.

"The CDC has linked all cases and people who have left the country to reach countries affected by measles outbreaks, and brings them back to the states," she said.

The virus can cause symptoms such as a rash, a high fever, diarrhea and a cough.

It is also very contagious. The virus can live in places where a person coughs or sneezes for two hours. It can spread when a person breathes that air or touches an infected surface, then touches his face.

The only thing you can do to prevent the virus is to get vaccinated.

"I can not really say it, vaccination," Doyle said.

This is a message that Plumley hopes everyone will hear.

"Protect your children and future generations, otherwise it will be a big breakthrough," she said.

Two measles cases have been confirmed in Kentucky in 2019, but so far, no cases have been confirmed in West Virginia.