By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Connecticut state health officials are reporting a second confirmed case of measles in a Fairfield County child.

This was a patient who presented with Koplik’s spots on palate due to pre-eruptive measles on day 3 of the illness./CDC

The child is a household contact of the child who contracted the first case of measles announced on April 9.

These are the first cases of measles in Connecticut since 2019. So far during 2021, other than in Connecticut, no other measles cases have been confirmed in the United States.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that can spread quickly among unvaccinated people. However, the majority of people exposed to measles are not at-risk of developing the disease since most people have either been vaccinated or have had measles in the past, before vaccination became routine.

“The single best way to protect yourself and your children from measles is to be vaccinated,” said DPH Acting Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford. “One dose of measles vaccine is about 93% effective, while two doses are about 97% effective. We must ensure we continue to protect our children from vaccine preventable illnesses through on-time vaccination.”

Very few people—about three out of 100—who get two doses of measles vaccine will still get measles if exposed to the virus. Measles vaccine does not cause measles illness.

Symptoms of measles generally begin 7-14 days after exposure to an infected person. A typical case of measles begins with mild to moderate fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes (conjunctivitis), and sore throat.  Three to five days after the start of these symptoms, a red or reddish-brown rash appears, usually starting on a person’s face at the hairline and spreading downward to the entire body. At the time the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

The rash typically lasts at least a few days and then disappears in the same order. People with measles may be contagious up to 4 days before the rash appears and for four days after the rash appears.

Measles is very easily spread from person to person.