Measles outbreak reported at Columbus-area child care facility

Max Filby, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
A measles outbreak was reported at a Columbus-area child care facility. Four cases have been confirmed so far, according to public health officials. The measles is considered a vaccine-preventable disease.
A measles outbreak was reported at a Columbus-area child care facility. Four cases have been confirmed so far, according to public health officials. The measles is considered a vaccine-preventable disease.

Local public health departments are investigating a measles outbreak linked to a local child care facility.

At least four cases of measles have been confirmed as part of the outbreak so far, according to both Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health. Each of the four children infected were unvaccinated for the measles.

The child care facility temporarily closed and has notified parents and is cooperating with investigators, according to the public health departments.

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“We are working diligently with the cases to identify any potential exposures and to notify people who were exposed,” Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said in a prepared statement. “The most important thing you can do to protect against measles is to get vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is safe and highly effective.”

The measles are considered highly contagious and 90% of unvaccinated individuals who are exposed to measles will become infected, according to Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health.

About one in five people in the U.S. who get measles will be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Symptoms of the measles include fever, cough, rash, runny nose and red or watery eyes. About one in 1,000 people who contract the measles could develop brain swelling, which could lead to serious brain damage, according to the CDC.

The four cases reported Wednesday bring the total number of confirmed measles cases in Franklin County to eight since June 2022.

“Measles is both highly contagious and preventable,” Joe Mazzola, Franklin County Health commissioner said in a news release. “It can be a severe illness, so we strongly encourage anyone who has not been vaccinated to get vaccinated to prevent further spread.”

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Four measles cases reported at Columbus-area child care facility