By: Vivian Tsang
The first cases of measle outbreak in the Bay Area were confirmed in Santa Clara, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz counties in early March this year, Reporter Annie Sciacca stated in a Mercury News article. The disease was initially spread by a Santa Cruz resident who was on an international flight to the San Francisco International Airport; at least three residents have been infected since, Sciacca said.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), measles is a highly infectious disease that is caused by a virus in the bloodstream. Before 1963 when a vaccine to combat measles was introduced, as many as four million people in the U.S. contracted the disease each year. In those years, up to 500 people died and as many as 48,000 people required hospitalization.
The last case of measles outbreak occurred in April 2018 and was primarily spread by unvaccinated patients, reporter Khalida Sarwari reported in a Mercury News article. In the United States, children are vaccinated against measles at the age of one and before primary school, Sarwari said.
Symptoms of the disease appear seven to fourteen days after exposure and can include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red watery eyes, the CDC stated on their website. After several days, a rash composing of tiny red bumps on the skin will spread from the head to the rest of a person’s body.
If an affected patient were to cough on an airplane flight, the disease can be sustained in the airspace for up to two hours, CDC stated. Up to 90% of people in close environments with an affected person will contract the disease if they are not immune to it. Additionally, measles is a disease that is specific to the human species and not other mammals.
While the health risk is low with only three cases of outbreak reported so far, it is important to take precautions. The MMR vaccine is 97% effective against measles, rumps, and rubella, CDC stated. Since the use of the measles vaccine, there has been a 99% reduction in the number of arising cases since the 1900s. The vaccination is safe and can prevent the spread of infection to other individuals. Making health appointments and confirming the status of your vaccination are efficient ways to stay safe in light of the current outbreaks.
Sources (in order of mentioned):
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/03/06/measles–case–confirmed–in–san–francisco–patient/
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/04/06/measles–outbreak–reported–in–santa–clara–county/