Maine CDC reports the first case of measles during an outbreak nationwide

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday the state's first case of measles in two years, adding Maine to the growing list of states affected by one of the country's most serious measles outbreaks. country for decades.

Maine is susceptible to outbreaks of infectious diseases as it has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country for kindergarten students.

A case of measles involving a child of school age was confirmed Monday in Somerset County, the CDC announced.

"The child is vaccinated, has not had any serious complications and is completely cured of the disease," said the agency in a press release issued on Tuesday. "Maine CDC has informed facilities where potential exposure has occurred and is working with them to ensure that potentially exposed people are informed."

The agency released a list of locations – including Madison Colleges and High Schools, Waterville Pediatrics and the Redington-Fairview Hospital Emergency Department – where people were potentially exposed to certain hours of the day, from April 30 to May 6.

People who may have been exposed should review their immunization history and monitor their symptoms, the CDC said.

"People who are unvaccinated or unaware of their measles immunization status should be vaccinated with at least one dose of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) to protect themselves from future exposures," the report said. Maine CDC. "People who have been exposed and are beginning to develop symptoms should contact their health care provider for instructions before arriving at the provider's office or hospital to ensure that precautions are taken. to avoid new infections.

"If the symptoms are compatible with the disease, tests can be done to determine if the person is infected. People without symptoms should not be tested.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of measles cases in the United States reached its highest level in 25 years, until May 17, with 880 cases in 24 states. Since the case of Maine was reported after May 17, it does not appear in the federal report yet, but the measles has spread to 25 states.

The measles epidemics were the most severe among unvaccinated populations in the state of Washington and New York City. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of cases were contracted by non-immune individuals. But about 3% of people, although completely immune, remain susceptible to measles. In general, if a person vaccinated catches measles, it will have less severe symptoms than an unvaccinated person, says the US CDC.

In the meantime, Maine House and the Senate have approved a bill that would eliminate all non-medical exemptions from mandatory vaccines. The Senate approved the bill by a vote last week. He will face at least one more procedural vote before going to Governor Janet Mills' office. She indicated that she supported the measure.

The last reported case of measles in Maine was a confirmed case in 2017. On April 2, the Maine CDC reported measles exposure from a Massachusetts resident who had traveled to the Falmouth Skin Clinic and Maine Endoscopy Centers in Maine at Westbrook on March 27th. but so far, no case of this exposure has been reported in Maine.

Measles outbreaks prompted action, including compulsory vaccination in New York. Maine has one of the lowest unsubscription rates in the country for schoolchildren entering kindergarten, with 5.6% in 2018-2019.

There are pockets of dangerously low vaccination rates that make the return of preventable diseases more likely. At least 15% of parents in 43 elementary schools in Maine decided to vaccinate their children in kindergarten using philosophical and non-medical religious exemptions.

Measles is an extremely contagious and dangerous disease, with symptoms including a rash that can cover the whole body, fever, cold, cough, runny nose and red and watery eyes.

Dr. Laura Blaisdell, a pediatrician in Yarmouth, said the bill in the Legislature would improve immunization rates, which is crucial for a disease like measles, which can easily spread.

"It's so important to have safe communities and schools and vaccinate as many people as possible," Blaisdell said.

After an infected person has left a place, the virus stays alive for up to two hours on the surfaces and in the air. The incubation period is usually 10 to 14 days, but can go up to 21 days. Measles is so contagious that more than 90% of those exposed, unvaccinated or immunized against previously contracted measles, will catch the disease.

Measles can lead to serious health complications that may include pneumonia, encephalitis, brain damage and possibly death.

In about one in 1,000 childhood measles cases, death may occur and there is a similar risk that children will become deaf or have irreversible brain damage from measles.

Before measles vaccine became widely available in the 1960s, about 3 to 4 million children in the United States contracted measles each year, with 48,000 hospitalizations and 400 to 500 deaths, according to the US CDC. Measles was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000, but the disease has risen in recent years as more and more parents choose not to vaccinate their children.

Severe reactions to measles vaccine are extremely rare – less than once a million doses administered – according to the US CDC. The myths that measles vaccine is linked to autism have been debunked and the 1998 article claiming a retracted link.

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