Second measles case reported in Kane County

A second case of measles has been reported in Kane County.

The latest person diagnosed with measles was in contact with the first individual, according to a news release from the Kane County Health Department.

The health department is notifying other people who may have been exposed.

County health officials said people who are vaccinated against measles should monitor themselves for symptoms for 21 days after their last potential exposure.

Symptoms include a high fever, coughing, a runny nose, red, watery eyes, and a rash that typically begins on the face three to five days after the first symptoms.

Anyone who thinks they have the measles should call ahead before going to an emergency department or other health care facility, the health department advises. Officials say those facilities will want to prepare to limit exposure to other patients and health care workers because the measles is highly contagious.

The first exposure happened Aug. 18 at Kaneland High School in Maple Park and Aug. 21 at a doctor’s office in South Elgin. The person contracted measles while in another country and had not been vaccinated against measles, according to the health department.

That individual had up to 1,600 potential exposures, which required the county health department to identify and notify people who may have been exposed and provide guidance to help prevent further spread, officials said.

In the second case, the person had been vaccinated against measles.

The news release did not say where the second person was exposed, only that they had contact with the first person.

Breakthrough infections can occur in vaccinated individuals. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles, and receiving a single shot is 93% effective. But immunity can wane in some people, or they may have had a weaker response to the vaccine, according to the CDC.

The health department provides immunizations for children with Medicaid plans or who are uninsured or underinsured, until their 19th birthday. It also provides vaccines to uninsured or underinsured adults. To learn more about eligibility or schedule an appointment, call (630) 208-3801.

Anyone unsure whether they received the recommended doses can check their records with their health care provider or use the state’s Vax Verify system.

According to the CDC, people born between 1963 and 1967 who may have received the inactivated version of the measles vaccine should consider getting tested for immunity to determine whether they should be revaccinated.

Kane County Health Department officials also warn about a measles outbreak in southwestern Wisconsin, in Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties. They are encouraging Kane County residents who traveled to the area recently, including over the Labor Day holiday weekend, to monitor for symptoms.

Additional information about measles, vaccination, and exposure and quarantine guidance is available at kanehealth.com/Pages/Measles-Update.aspx.

sarkauskas@dailyherald.com