The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) report since September this year, There have been five confirmed cases of measles in the surrounding Chicago area- four cases in suburban Cook County residents, and one case in a Lake County, Indiana resident.
The four measles cases in suburban Cook County are epidemiologically linked. The index case in this outbreak was believed to have acquired measles during international travel. Additional linked cases in non-Illinois residents have been confirmed following exposure to the index case on an airplane that flew into O’Hare International Airport. The case in Lake County, IN was identified the week of October 13 and occurred in an unvaccinated child.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that commonly causes a rash and fever. Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children under the age of 5. Adults over 20 years of age, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems are also more likely to suffer from measles complications. Common complications include ear infections, croup, and diarrhea. Severe complications from measles infections can include pneumonia (a serious lung infection), encephalitis (swelling of the brain), deafness, and other long-term consequences. About 1 in 5 people in the U.S. who get measles will be hospitalized. In rare cases, measles can be deadly.
Measles typically starts with cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a fever that can get very high. Three to five days after these symptoms begin, a rash will appear. The rash looks like tiny, red spots that start at the head and spread down to the rest of the body.
Measles is very contagious and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can catch measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, even up to 2 hours after that person has left. Infected people can spread measles to others four days before until four days after the rash appears.
The best protection from measles is the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles. The MMR vaccine provides long-lasting protection against measles.
Doctors recommend that most children get the first dose of the MMR vaccine at the age of 12 to 15 months and a second dose at 4 to 6 years of age. The MMR vaccine protects your child from measles, and also against mumps and rubella. Adults who are not sure if they have had the vaccine or if they had a prior measles infection should contact their medical provider.