The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) is investigating a travel-associated confirmed case of measles in Franklin County; currently there are no other cases reported or under investigation in Maine.

Image/CDC
Image/CDC

This case was confirmed at the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory. The last reported measles case in Maine was in 1997.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Measles can cause severe health complications including pneumonia, encephalitis, and death. Measles is transmitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes; infected people are contagious from four days before their rash starts through four days afterwards.

After an infected person leaves a location, the virus remains alive for up to two hours on surfaces and in the air. The incubation period—the period from exposure to onset of symptoms—is typically 10-14 days, but can be as long as 21 days.

“The Maine CDC is working with clinicians to identify potentially exposed individuals and make appropriate recommendations to prevent transmission,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Siiri Bennett.

The public may have been exposed to measles if they were at the following locations during the defined time periods:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individuals who were potentially exposed (as defined by the table above) should review their vaccine history and monitor for symptoms. Individuals with symptoms should contact their providers for instructions before arriving at the providers’ offices or hospitals. If symptoms are consistent with the disease, testing may be performed to determine whether the individual is infected. Individuals without symptoms should not be tested.

The best protection against measles is vaccination. MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine provides long-lasting protection against all strains of measles.

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