BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — Health officials have confirmed a case of measles in a child younger than a year old in Butler County.
According to a release from the Butler Country General Health District (BCGHD), the infant acquired measles through international travel and returned to the United States through a Chicago-area airport and then to Ohio via car. The health district is not disclosing additional information about the affected individual, the release said.
Staff worked on the Fourth of July holiday to notify close contacts of their exposure status.
“If you do not receive a call from BCGHD, it is safe to assume that you have not been exposed to measles,” the release said.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, the health district said. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough and rash. There is no specific treatment for measles, the release said.
“The best way to protect yourself and your family against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases is by immunization,” the release said.
Health officials generally recommend unvaccinated individuals one year and older receive a measles vaccination to protect themselves and those around them.
Children should receive their first dose of the measles vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age and another dose at 4-6 years of age.
The measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine is often first given at 12 months of age in the United States, but is sometimes recommended for children as young as six months of age who are traveling outside the United States or could be infected in an outbreak, the release said.
Those who are uncertain about their child’s or their own vaccination status or are unvaccinated for measles, or who think they might be experiencing symptoms of measles, are advised to call their health care provider.
Call the Butler County General Health District at 513-863-1770 to ask questions and schedule a vaccination appointment.
More information about measles is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, www.cdc.gov/measles
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