A third case of measles has been reported in an Idaho resident, this time in Bonner County. As the school year begins, public officials warn of undiagnosed cases while healthcare providers prepare for a potential spread.
This latest case appears unconnected to the one reported last week in neighboring Kootenai county. Dr. Christine Hahn, head epidemiologist and medical director at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, said they have not identified how two of the three unvaccinated children infected were exposed.
“That is worrying us because it means there are probably other undetected cases in those communities, and it's probably something that is going to continue to pop up until we can get this stopped,” she said.
Measles is highly contagious and often not diagnosed until the appearance of a rash, which can happen several days after the onset of non-specific respiratory symptoms like a cough and a runny nose.
As students return to classrooms across the state, officials fear undiagnosed children in the early phase of the disease will accelerate circulation. Children and staff with immune-compromised conditions, like students receiving cancer treatments or pregnant women, are at increased risk for complications.
The Department of Health and Welfare is working with St Luke's Health System to train school nurses to identify the signs and symptoms of measles
“[They] are there at the front lines,” Hahn said. “They might have a kid show up and they come in to school and even get sick during the day.”
“We're trying very hard to get the word out and make sure that the health care workers, the school workers and the general public are taking this time to be ready, whether that's by considering immunization, or by having plans for how to respond to a case,” she said, adding the Department was working with immunization programs to make sure the state had enough vaccines in case of a surge in cases.
Children are more vulnerable to the disease but cannot get vaccinated against it until they are a year old. Twenty percent of children with measles end up hospitalized. The Centers for Disease Control reports one in five children affected is hospitalized with severe symptoms like pneumonia while more complicated cases can lead to brain infection.
Measles was considered eradicated from the U.S. in 2000. This year so far, the CDC reported a total of 1,375 cases across the country — the highest count in 33 years.
