Be prepared Warren County: Once-eradicated measles shows up in Virginia

The MMR vaccine against measles does not cause autism… There is zero link between them,” Dr. Colin Green said turning to face the audience. Photo and video by Mark Williams, Royal Examiner.

FRONT ROYAL — Virginia’s first case of measles reared its ugly head earlier this month and another possible case is under investigation, said Dr. Colin Greene, director of the Lord Fairfax Health District (LFHD) of the Virginia Department of Health during the June 18 Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting.

What does that mean for Warren County and the other areas served by the LFHD — which include the City of Winchester and the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page and Shenandoah?
It means that residents need to be prepared by getting educated, Greene said on Tuesday during a public health presentation to the board.

“This is not a kind disease,” the doctor said about measles, which was declared eradicated in 2000 in the United States. “It’s extraordinarily contagious. It makes you sick as a dog. It’s like having a case of the flu on steroids.”

Measles is caused by a virus that spreads via contact, coughing and sneezing, said Greene, who noted that the average incubation period is 10 days from the time someone is infected until symptoms appear. And the symptoms aren’t fun: a high fever that may spike to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, and a rash that usually appears three-to-seven days into the misery, he said.

The rash is recognizable as being flat, red spots that start on a person’s face and then spreads and clears “from north to south,” the doctor said, adding that “the rash means you’re not contagious anymore.” But from four days before the rash until four days after the rash appears, you are contagious, he said, and you’ll be “miserably sick” with “significant personal discomfort.”

The first Virginia case was confirmed in early June by the state health department, which reported that an unvaccinated traveler to a measles-endemic area had returned through Dulles International Airport. A diagnosis of measles was determined within a few days of the traveler’s return, the health department said. Dr. Greene emphasized that the case did not expose the Warren County area and there could possibly be another case confirmed soon in the state. Nationally, 1,044 measles cases have been reported in the United States as of June 13, said Greene, who pointed out that in 2010 there were 68 cases total around the country.

“Why has measles returned? Because some people aren’t getting vaccinated,” Greene said. “Two MMR shots prevent measles for life.”

And, by the way, the MMR vaccine against measles does not cause autism, he added, citing a 1998 medical article connecting measles to autism that was found to be fraudulent. “But the rumor won’t die and many have chosen not to get vaccinated against measles.” “There is zero link between them,” Green said turning to face the audience.

So what should people do?

If you are already immunized, then you really don’t have to worry about getting measles, the doctor said. But ensure you are immunized, particularly if you’re a healthcare worker. If you’re not immune, he advised that you see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. If you think you already have measles, then stay at home and call your doctor. Or if you must go to the doctor’s office, urgent care or the emergency room, have someone take you there, Greene said.

“If you go to urgent care or ER, go with another person who can go in and say they have a possible measles case with them,” Greene said.

Stay away from others; get a mask if you’re around other people; and call your healthcare provider so they can prepare. Four or five people who aren’t immunized can start the spread of measles, warned Greene.

“It’s a bad disease. We got rid of it, but it’s coming back again,” he said. “The good news is that it’s not Ebola. This is not a disaster. This is something we can control.”

Call your local health department for more information at 540-635-3159.

The Royal Examiner’s camera was there: