Vermont reports 2nd measles case of the year
Vermont health officials confirmed a second case of measles in a Vermont resident. The individual was exposed while in the Hanover, New Hampshire area in late June.
This case is unrelated to the first case of measles confirmed in April.
New Hampshire’s public health office provided the Health Department with information about Vermont residents who might have been exposed. Vermont health officials reached out to those individuals and learned of one person who was experiencing symptoms.
Health Department epidemiologists determined that the patient had been outside of Vermont for most of their infectious period. The department has identified contacts in other states and shared that information with the respective state health agencies. One Vermont contact is being monitored.
The Health Department encourages people to make sure they are up to date on their measles vaccinations.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can cause serious illness. There is no treatment for measles, however, it is almost entirely vaccine-preventable.
Symptoms of measles typically begin with a cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a high fever that may spike to more than 104°. A rash of flat spots breaks out on the head and face, then spreads to other parts of the body.
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The virus can spread to other people when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The measles virus can stay in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a room. People can become infected if they breathe in the germs or touch a contaminated surface and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.
The measles virus can be spread from four days before through four days after an infected person develops the rash. This means a person with measles may not know they are infectious for several days.
As of June 27, a total of 159 measles cases were reported by 23 jurisdictions: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
There have been 12 outbreaks (defined as 3 or more related cases) reported in 2024, and 66% of cases (105 of 159) are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 4 outbreaks were reported during 2023 and 48% of cases (28 of 58) were outbreak-associated.