GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The measles outbreak is topping decades-old records and only one state away from Northeast Wisconsin.
The good news is that there still are no confirmed cases in the state.
While more concerning news is that the number of cases nationwide is still growing and hitting the Midwest.
“There are 704 individual cases of measles and those are confirmed cases in twenty-two states,” explains Anna Destree, Public Health Officer with Brown County Health & Human Services.
One of those twenty-two states is Michigan.
When discussing measles, state lines or even country borders matter little since the infection is so contagious.
“If someone is unvaccinated and travels from an area that’s experiencing an outbreak, they could easily come back to our area and bring it here,” she explains.
When looking at the problem from a nationwide lense, it’s definitely a concerning problem for health officials.
“[704 cases] is the highest level in the United States in twenty-five years,” says Destree.
The fact that the problem seemingly isn’t getting any better also presents a set of concerns.
According to Destree, a major factor is that just one infected individual can spread the measles to a number of other people, creating an unwanted domino effect.
“If one person with measles coughs or sneezes, they can get nine or ten others sick,” she explains.
Which makes it imperative for everyone to take proactive steps to keep themselves healthy.
The message from Health and Human Services is that receiving the measles vaccination is by far the best way to stave off the infection.
Their department isn’t issuing the vaccine itself, but can help direct county residents if they have questions regarding their history.
“If they are unsure, we can help look up their immunization registry online for them, let them know if they have it,” she explains.
In terms of actually receiving the vaccine, they recommend turning to your primary medical provider for that service.
Additionally, the infection is airborne, meaning that people should take simple steps to protect themselves.
That could mean just turning away to sneeze and/or cough.
