Measles outbreak is expensive for patients and government agencies

The number of Americans diagnosed with measles has now reached 839, covering 23 states.

According to the CDC, there have been 75 more cases since last week.

In each new case, health officials must spend thousands of hours to contain the epidemic.

Although the 10 cases recorded to date in Los Angeles County are few compared to other regions, Senegalese Senator Richard Pan explains that because of the many international travelers, Los Angeles and the surrounding cities remain vulnerable.

"We must take care to ensure the safety of the public," Pan said.

When a case of measles is even suspected, officials from the L.A. County Public Health Department begin to hit the ground. Every minute counts. Each person exposed can potentially expose hundreds of others.

MORE: How can you tell if you are protected against measles?

Dr. Sharon Balter is director of acute communicable disease control in the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

"We immediately start working with the patient and his family to determine where they have gone," she said.

Pan, who is also a practicing pediatrician, explains just how responsible officials are for the investigation.

"They have to check the vaccination records and especially the adults, which can be a bit difficult to find, and they do blood tests to check their immunity," he said.

"Sometimes you may have to interview people more than once," Balter added.

Measles outbreak in Southern California: all you need to know

"The cost of an outbreak includes staff salaries, many overtime, drugs, transportation, laboratory tests, etc.," said Dr. Jan King, Regional Medical Director of the Department of Health. Los Angeles County Public.

To investigate the first cases, the authorities estimate that Los Angeles County Health Authorities have spent more than $ 80,000. The state of California has spent more than $ 400,000.

It is difficult to obtain a real cost because the estimates are very preliminary because they do not count the additional cases, including those of UCLA and Cal State L.A., which led to quarantine.

Officials say the costs associated with looking for only one exposed person can reach $ 2,000.

"So you can see over time that we can quickly introduce a multi-million dollar bill," said King. "It's very expensive for taxpayers."

In addition to this, patients themselves may incur costs related to lost wages and medical treatments.

Federal health officials say the total cost of treating a single case of measles is typically in the order of $ 32,000.