AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - Following the alert of an unvaccinated child with measles who made travel stops throughout the state, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is conducting an investigation to determine how this situation could impact the public.
Before discovering their child was contagious with measles, the family traveled through Alabama, making two stops in central regions of the state.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects the respiratory system, residing in the mucus of the nose and throat of those infected. After being exposed, individuals can take up to three weeks to begin showing symptoms.
Initially, symptoms present as a fever and severe cough, followed by a rash a few days later. Measles can lead to complications such as pneumonia, brain inflammation, or, in rare instances, death.
A single case of measles can spread to up to 95 percent of unvaccinated individuals who come into contact with the virus. One infected person is also likely to cause 12 to 18 additional cases.
Public concerns are rising as approximately 300 cases of measles have been confirmed in the state of Texas.
As of today, no confirmed cases of measles have been reported in Alabama, and the likelihood of the child spreading the infection is considerably low.
For more information regarding vaccinations, please visit https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/immunization/measles.html
