7 measles cases confirmed in DuPage County

In a time when typically no more than three cases of measles are reported in Illinois each year, public health officials say seven cases have been diagnosed among school-aged children in DuPage County.

It is the first time DuPage has reported a case of measles since 2000.

"This is an outbreak for us," said Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health. "Only zero to three cases have been confirmed annually in Illinois for the last five years."

Officials are not releasing any identifying information about the children because of privacy concerns.

Arnold said a recent case in Chicago was diagnosed in a person who had traveled to Sweden. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports about 50 cases are confirmed each year in the nation, usually originating from foreign countries.

"We need to be vigorous in our prevention efforts," Arnold said. "It's a very contagious disease that is only a plane ride away."

Dave Hass, spokesman for the DuPage County Health Department, said it is not known if any of the cases confirmed in DuPage originated from a foreign country.

"We do know that these cases are due to inadequate vaccinations," Hass said. "Either they were under-vaccinated, or they received no vaccination."

Public health guidelines require children receive two doses of the combined vaccine that protects again measles, mumps and rubella.

Vaccinations are required before Illinois children enter school, but parents can opt out of having their children vaccinated because of religious or medical reasons.

DuPage health officials are continuing to investigate how the disease was spread.

"We're trying to track other contacts these families may have had," Hass said. "We have concerns about their coming into contact with people who haven't been vaccinated.

"We're reaching out to schools, even though some are out for the summer, to park districts and faith-based communities," Hass said. "There have been very few cases recently. Even physicians aren't on the radar screen for this illness."

Measles can be misdiagnosed because of the disease's scarcity.

According to public health officials, measles can be suspected in any patient with a fever, rash, a cough, a runny nose and conjunctivitis -- or red, runny eyes. Measles are caused by a virus that is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes or by direct contact with infected nose or throat secretions.

The complications of measles can be serious. Six to 20 percent of those who get the disease will get an ear infection, diarrhea or pneumonia. In rare cases, a person may experience encephalitis -- an inflammation of the brain.

Persons experiencing these symptoms should see their physician.

For information, visit www.idph.state.il.us.