Ohio’s first measles case of 2024 reported

Daniel Griffin
·2 min read
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has identified the state’s first case of measles in 2024.

The department said the infected child is from Montgomery County, and ODH is working with Public Health – Dayton and Montgomery County to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to the disease.

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According to Public Health – Dayton and Montgomery County, the case was first reported on Jan. 29 in a patient at Dayton’s Children’s Hospital’s emergency room. The department said people in that area on Jan. 29 and on Jan. 31 may have been exposed.

One case of measles was reported in the state in 2023. However, in 2022, 90 cases were reported, with the outbreak centered in central Ohio with 85 of those reported cases. Those were the first cases of the disease in Ohio since 2019.

ODH said measles is extremely contagious and can spread through coughing or sneezing. The department said 90% of people who come into contact with a measles patient, if those people aren’t immunized, will become infected.

Symptoms of measles include a rash, fever, runny nose, cough, loss of appetite, and red, watery eyes. Normally, the rash will last about 5 or 6 days. It begins at the patient’s hairline, moves to the face and upper neck, and then down the body. Other complications from the disease include diarrhea and ear infections. About one in five children who contracts measles will be hospitalized with complications such as pneumonia, dehydration, or brain swelling, the public health department said.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends all children receive two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, starting with the first shot when between the ages of 12 through 15 months, with a second shot between the ages of 4 to 6 years old.

“Measles can be a very serious illness for anyone,” Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, ODH director, said in a press release. “The key to preventing measles is vaccination. If you are not vaccinated, we strongly encourage you to get the vaccine.”

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