Kane County confirms local case of measles, possible public exposure

Health department officials added Kane County to the list of communities affected by the largest measles outbreak in the U.S. since 1994.

The Kane County Health Department confirmed a case of measles May 28 and made the information public Thursday morning. The person is no longer infectious but visited several local retailers and restaurants during a period when the infection could be spread, the news release said.

People who visited the following locations during the time periods listed should be on the lookout for signs of measles.

May 20:

• At Home store, 2100 S. Randall Road, Geneva, between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

• Best Buy, 1876 S. Randall Road, Geneva, between the hours of 5:45 p.m. and 8:05 p.m.

• Colonial Cafe, 552 Randall Road, St. Charles, between the hours of 6:05 p.m. and 9:05 p.m.

• Meijer, 855 Randall Road, St. Charles, between the hours of 7:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

May 22:

• Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group, 2900 Foxfield Road, St. Charles, between the hours of 11:20 a.m. and 3 p.m.

May 24:

• Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group, 2900 Foxfield Road, St. Charles, between the hours of 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Places are at higher risk for transmitting the infection up to two hours after an infected person was present.

The symptoms include cough, fever, rash, runny nose and red, watery eyes. Anyone with those symptoms should contact a health care provider before going to a hospital or medical office to avoid exposing others to the infection.

Public health officials are working with the businesses and health care facilities to limit the exposure.

Barb Jeffers, executive director of the Kane County Health Department, said the public can help keep themselves, and each other, safe from measles by getting vaccinated.

“High measles vaccine coverage is critical to preventing and controlling measles outbreaks in our community,” Jeffers said. “I urge all who are unsure of their vaccine status to check with their physicians.”

The Centers for Disease Control report 940 individual measles cases confirmed between Jan. 1 and May 24. A report the agency put out in April showed 71 percent of the people contracting measles as part of the outbreak at that time were not vaccinated.

Complications stemming from a measles infection can include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and death.

Local residents who believe they were exposed to measles at the locations above should contact the Kane County Health Department at: 630-208-3801.