Montana health care providers are paying close attention to a second case of measles that was confirmed this week in Spokane.
There are no confirmed cases of measles in Montana, but Karl Milhon says doctors and nurses are watching for symptoms when evaluating patients.
"Over the last four or five months there's been a national outbreak going on and we've been paying very close attention to that."
Milhon is the communicable disease and epidemiology supervisor for the state health department. The agency says Montana's current vaccination rate is 65.4 percent compared to the national average of 70.4 percent. These rates are for all vaccinations the Center for Disease Control and Prevention measures.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through coughing and sneezing.
"And it's one that's very, very concerning to everybody. We haven't had a case in Montana since 1990," says Milhon.
Public health officials want to keep it that way. About 15 years ago the CDC declared measles eliminated in the United States; but this December a measles outbreak in Disneyland sickened over 170 people. Earlier this month CDC announced that particular outbreak was over.
But the disease is still active in other countries.
"And we have people who either visit from there or we have people from here who go to those places and contract it," Milhon says. "They then come back and we see isolated cases that then sometimes break out and we have to contain them in effect."
Containing a measles outbreak is tough.
"One of the biggest fears is that a person who has measles will go into a waiting room. This disease is so infectious that even up to two hours after a person leaves the waiting room it could potentially be in the air and infect other individuals."
Measles starts with a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and a sore throat. It’s followed by a rash that spreads over the body.
If a patient calls his or her physician complaining of those symptoms they're told to stay home and await further instructions. If it's too late to nip it in the bud, health care providers try to determine who's most at risk.
"We try to ascertain people's immunization status to see if we can rule people out as at risk because of presumptive immunity. People born before 1957 are presumed to have already caught the disease so they're immune."
Milhon says education is key for the healthcare community.
"So even today we've got staff out speaking to nurses around the state. We've had four, of our "Roadshows". Part of that is to inform providers and nurses in practices and clinics throughout the state, what to be aware of and what they can do within their own practices to prevent transmission."
State health officials have conducted tests on suspected measles cases since the start of the year. All to date have turned up negative.
They also say the best way to prevent measles is through the widespread use of the measles vaccine. Children should receive two doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine. The first should be administered from 12 through 15 months of age. The second from 4 years to 6 years of age.