MEASLES OUTBREAK IN EAST COUNTY: 10 CASES IN 5 COMMUNITIES

10 confirmed cases countywide including 9 in East County:  exposures at public locations in Alpine, El Cajon, La Mesa, Julian and San Diego

East County News Service

January 15, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The County is confirming 10 cases of measles locally related to an outbreak at Disneyland, including 9 in East County.  You may have been exposed if you visited locations that include pharmacies, gyms, markets, an urgent care center, a shopping mall, and a city of San Diego building. 

Here is a list of San Diego County locations and times of possible exposures to measles:

• City of San Diego Operations Building, 1222 First Ave., San Diego, Jan. 12 from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Jan. 13 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Jan. 14 from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• CVS Pharmacy, 2760 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, Jan. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m.
• Vons, 2800 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, Jan. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m.
• Sharp-Rees-Steely Urgent Care Clinic, 5525 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, on Jan. 3 between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and Jan. 14 from noon until the clinic was closed at 1 p.m.
•  Rite Aid Pharmacy, 1665 Alpine Blvd., Alpine, Jan. 13 from 4 to 7 p.m.
• Trader Joes, 5495 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, Jan. 12 from 4 to 7 p.m.
• Absolute Personal Fitness, 2000 Main Street, Julian, Jan 9 from 5 to 7 p.m.
• Julian Fitness Center, 2216 Main Street, Julian, Jan. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m.
• Parkway Plaza Mall in El Cajon, Dec. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only, especially in or around GameStop, Sunglasses Hut and the carousel in the mall.

None of the locations listed have a current risk for measles and no cases have yet been identified linked to exposures at these sites. All cases either reported travel to Disneyland on Dec. 18, 2014 or were close contacts to someone who visited the park. Only one of the local cases was vaccinated for measles.

“Anyone who was at any of the locations listed at the specified dates and times should watch for symptoms and contact their health care provider by telephone first if they show any signs of the disease,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “Measles is highly contagious and spreads easily through coughing, sneezing or coming in contact with an infected person.

“The best prevention measure for measles is to get vaccinated,” said Wooten. “No vaccine is 100 percent effective, but if you’re vaccinated and you acquire measles the symptoms will be far less severe.”

Measles develops seven to 21 days after exposure. Early symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes. The distinctive red rash usually appears three to five days after early symptoms appear. A person is considered contagious four days before the rash appears. The rash begins on the face and head then proceeds downward and outward to the hands and feet. It fades in the same order it began, from head to feet.

All persons born in 1957 or after should have documentation of at least one dose of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine or other evidence of immunity to measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two doses of the vaccine: the first at 12 months of age, and the second between ages 4 - 6.

Complications from measles are more common in children younger than 5 years old and adults 20 years and older. Complications can include diarrhea, ear infection and pneumonia. Death can occur from severe complications and the risk is higher among younger children and adults. There is no treatment for measles. Bed rest, fluids and fever control are recommended. People with complications may need treatment for their specific problem.

For more information about measles, other vaccine-preventable diseases and the shots that protect against them, please call the HHSA Immunization Branch at (866) 358-2966 or visit  www.sdiz.org.