SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Health officials in Salt Lake County identified what they believe is the first case of a measles in the county amid the ongoing nationwide outbreak.
The Salt Lake County Health Department said it was alerted to the probable case of measles late Monday but the patient declined to be tested or participate in the disease investigation.
“So, we will not be able to technically confirm the illness or properly do contact tracing to warn anyone with whom the patient may have had contact,” said SLCoHD Executive Director Dorothy Adams. “But based on the specific symptoms reported by the healthcare provider and the limited conversation our investigators have had with the patient, this is very likely a case of measles in someone living in Salt Lake County.”
Adams urged the public to speak with public health workers and provide information if they reach out so the health department can properly investigate the outbreak.
MORE | Utah’s Measles Outbreak
Community members can confirm a public health worker’s legitimacy by checking any emails are coming from a “.gov” email address. Legitimacy can also be confirmed by calling the state or local health department and ask to be transferred to the investigator who called or emailed them.
“Information we get during illness interviews is completely confidential, and we do not share it with anyone – including federal, state, or other local government agencies,” said Adams. “We collect the information only to investigate the source of illness and attempt to prevent further spread.”
If you think have measles or someone you’ve been around has symptoms, the health officials said you should reach out to your health care provider immediately.
As of October 29, the Utah Department of Health has reported 59 cases of measles throughout the state, the majority of which were found in southwest Utah. If confirmed, the measles case would be the eighth on the Wasatch Front and the first in Salt Lake County.
Measles is a highly contagious virus, the Salt Lake County Health Department said, and it can spread to others before an infected person even knows they are ill. Those who are not immune have a 90% chance of getting the disease if they are a near an infected person.
Symptoms usually appear between one to two weeks of infection and include fever, cough, runny nose and red or watery eyes. White spots typically appear inside the mouth within three days of the first symptoms followed shortly by a rash.
Health officials said the best protection against measles is to be immunized with two doses of a measles-containing vaccine such as the MMR vaccine. According to the SLCoHD, two doses of the vaccine prevents more than 97 percent of measles infections and makes the symptoms milder should a fully vaccinated person become infected.
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