Two cases of measles confirmed in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma State Department of Health has confirmed two cases of measles in Oklahoma.

State officials said the cases are being reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as probable cases because the individuals reported exposure associated with outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, and reported symptoms consistent with measles. Oklahoma health officials have been on high alert based on cases in Texas and New Mexico, but say there is no public threat associated with the Oklahoma.

Health officials did not say where the Oklahoma cases were identified.

OSDH officials the two individuals took the right steps to prevent transmission of the disease to the general public, immediately excluding themselves from public settings and staying home throughout their contagious period.

“These cases highlight the importance of being aware of measles activity as people travel or host visitors,” said Kendra Dougherty, director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Response at OSDH.

Measles can be prevented with an MMR vaccine. The vaccine is recommended for children at 12 to 15 months of age and again at 4 to 6 years of age. Health officials said two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles, and one dose is about 93 percent effective.

If an individual has known exposure to someone with measles and they are not immune through vaccination or prior infection, they are recommended to:

• Consult with a health care provider to determine if post-exposure prophylaxis is recommended

• Exclude themselves from public settings for 21 days, unless symptoms develop

If symptoms develop, individuals should stay away from public areas until five days after the rash started. Individuals seeking health care are advised to call ahead to their health care provider and let them know their symptoms and exposure concerns, to help limit exposure within the healthcare setting.

For measles, two case types meet the criteria for a public health investigation, probable and confirmed. Both of these case types are reported to CDC using the national standard surveillance definition. Probable measles cases show symptoms consistent with the national standard surveillance definition, but lack a confirmatory test result or a link to a laboratory confirmed case. Confirmed measles cases show symptoms consistent with the national standard surveillance definition and have a confirmatory test result or a link to a laboratory confirmed case.

Additional information is available at the agency’s website: oklahoma.gov/health.