Measles cases in Wisconsin have risen to 243, including 10 confirmed infections in Chippewa County, health officials said on Friday, October 2.
The Chippewa County total has increased from one case reported on September 29. Five cases have also now been confirmed in Marathon County, up from three.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said the cases in both northern counties were linked to out-of-state travel and were not connected to the separate outbreak in Grant, Iowa, Lafayette and Vernon counties.
That south-western Wisconsin outbreak has recorded 220 confirmed cases and six probable cases. Officials believe measles is spreading locally in the region, while county health departments and state authorities continue to identify and notify people who may have been exposed.
Measles cases in Wisconsin prompt vaccination reminder
Health officials said people who are unvaccinated, or who do not know whether they are immune, face the greatest risk. Young children who have not been vaccinated and adults without immunity are particularly vulnerable to serious illness.
Symptoms typically develop 10 to 21 days after exposure and can include a runny nose, cough, tiredness, a high fever and red, watery eyes. A raised red rash usually begins at the hairline three to five days after the first symptoms and spreads to the arms and legs.
Anyone who believes they have been exposed and is not immune has been advised to stay at home and monitor for symptoms. Those who become ill should call their doctor or clinic before attending in person, allowing staff to take steps to prevent exposing other patients.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has urged residents to check their vaccination records. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are about 97 per cent effective at preventing measles, according to the department.
