WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Health officials in Washtenaw County are working to prevent additional measles cases after an outbreak was confirmed this week.
The county has reported three related cases, all involving unvaccinated individuals. Officials said the first case was identified last week, after a person returned from Florida. Two additional cases, confirmed this week, involved people who had close contact with that individual.
The Washtenaw County Health Department said it is using detailed contact tracing to track potential exposures and limit further spread.
“When we identify a case of measles, we talk through where that person has been, what they did, and how long they were there, going through nearly every hour of the day,” said Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, a spokesperson for the department.
With measles being highly contagious, the department is taking extra precautions when testing suspected cases. On Friday, officials used a mobile clinic to test a person for the virus rather than bringing them inside a facility.
“In this case, because measles is so infectious, if we’re testing someone we suspect might have measles, we’re not going to bring them into the facility,” Ringler-Cerniglia said. “We’ll have someone with proper protective equipment see them outside or in the vehicle.”
Symptoms of the virus typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure and can include a high fever, cough, small white spots inside the mouth and a rash that begins on the face and spreads across the body.
The county has released a list of locations, dates and times where people may have been exposed.
Officials said they are not planning a dedicated measles vaccine clinic at this time but noted the health department offers walk-in vaccination hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.