SALT LAKE CITY — One day after the state health department confirmed a measles case entered the state last month, health officials on Wednesday said they are “closely watching” another potential measles situation in the southwestern part of Utah.
The state health department confirmed that the individual was vaccinated, significantly reducing the risk of transmission.
Utah health officials emphasized that the person did not make any stops in Utah before leaving the state.
Health officials continue to monitor those who may have been exposed.
Measles prevention Wednesday’s statement from the state health department said that due to the ongoing spread of measles cases throughout the country, public health and medical providers recommend the MMR vaccine.
Salt Lake City, Utah — Health officials said Wednesday they are “closely watching” another possible measles situation in the southwestern region of Utah, one day after the state health department confirmed a measles case entered the state last month.
An unvaccinated out-of-state resident who was infectious with measles and visited relatives in southwestern Utah on May 26 and 27 was reported to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services on Monday.
“While in the community in southwestern Utah, this individual might have exposed others.”. We also know they brought unvaccinated people with them,” the department said in a statement.
The public should be aware of the “increased risk of measles in this region and the increasing number of cases in surrounding states,” according to the health department, even though the risk to the general public is minimal. “.
The department currently has little information about who was exposed, but it is working to protect and inform those it can identify.
The earlier incident.
The most recent case of measles comes shortly after another case that was reported to the state last month.
The case was first made public at a Summit County Board of Health meeting on Monday. The risk of transmission was greatly decreased when the state health department verified that the person was vaccinated.
According to a statement released by the department on Tuesday, “this individual had previously been vaccinated and posed a low risk of infection to others.”.
An international tourist took a plane from Canada to Salt Lake City on May 19 and then rented a car to drive to southern Idaho. Prior to departing the state, the individual made no stops in Utah, Utah health officials stressed.
According to the department, the person developed symptoms and was diagnosed with measles while in Idaho, and all exposure concerns occurred there. The person went back to Utah a few days later.
“That same individual returned to Salt Lake on May 23. They made no stops again, but they did board an airplane while experiencing symptoms,” stated Derek Moss, the nursing director for Summit County.
The department clarified that public health had given the person the all-clear to board since they were judged to have outlived their infectious period.
No further measles infections have been reported among exposed passengers as of yet, according to Salt Lake County health officials, who also contacted passengers from the flight and gave them resources to prevent infection. Health officials are still keeping an eye on anyone who might have been exposed.
prevention of measles.
The MMR vaccine is advised by public health and healthcare providers due to the continuous spread of measles cases across the nation, the state health department said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We urge Utahns to speak with a pharmacist or healthcare professional to confirm their immunization status before summer travel due to the surge in measles outbreaks in North and South America,” the statement says.
