Pike County’s measles outbreak grew sharply on Friday, Oct. 23, as the Pike County General Health District confirmed 20 additional cases, raising the county total to 22 confirmed cases, with two more cases listed as suspected. The new total is a steep jump from the single case the health district first reported earlier this month, and officials said contact tracing for the new cases has been completed.
The health district said its tracing work included identifying potential exposures, notifying people who may have come into contact with an infected individual, and providing those contacts with guidance on next steps. Officials did not release the ages, vaccination status or likely exposure locations of the newly confirmed patients.
People infected with measles can spread the virus before they know they are sick. According to the health district, an infected person is contagious starting four days before a rash appears and remains contagious through the fourth day after the rash develops, counting the day the rash first appears as Day 0. The district is advising anyone diagnosed with measles to remain isolated through Day 4 of the rash, and said severely immunocompromised patients may need to isolate longer.
Symptoms generally appear seven to 14 days after exposure, though they can take as long as 21 days to show up. The health district said measles typically begins with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes, followed by a rash. Anyone who develops symptoms consistent with measles should avoid contact with other people and call a health care provider before going to a medical facility, so staff can take precautions to avoid exposing other patients.
The district continues to recommend the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as the most effective protection against the virus, noting that two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing infection. Residents who need vaccination, or who are unsure of their vaccination status, can call the health district at 740-947-7721, and officials said arrangements can be made for vaccinations at another location for people who have difficulty getting to the office.
The Pike County district first confirmed a single measles case on Oct. 8. Earlier this month, it joined the Ross County and Highland County health districts to hold a vaccine clinic in Bainbridge, in neighboring Ross County, as part of a broader regional response to rising case counts across the area — a reminder that the virus does not stop at county lines, and neither has the response.
Anyone in Pike County who believes they may have been exposed to measles is asked to contact a health care provider or the health district as soon as possible for guidance. With the county total now at 22 confirmed cases, health officials are treating vaccination checks, early symptom calls and isolation by diagnosed patients as the tools that will decide whether the outbreak grows further.
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