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A statewide outbreak of measles in Pennsylvania continues to affect primarily unvaccinated children and adults as health officials try to ramp up vaccination rates in local communities.
There have been 1,222 confirmed cases so far this year as of Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to state data. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has also reported five measles-associated deaths and told WHYY it is investigating a sixth death reported by the Franklin County Coroner’s Office on Monday.
Infections have been identified in 42 of the commonwealth’s 67 counties. The largest clusters of cases linked to community-wide viral transmission are concentrated in and around Lancaster, Chester, York, Mifflin, Snyder, Centre, Clinton, Clearfield and Jefferson counties.
About 1 in 5 people who’ve contracted the virus have been hospitalized, state data shows.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads when someone who is infected coughs or sneezes and releases the virus into the air. Other people can then become infected if they breathe in those airborne droplets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Part of what makes measles so contagious is that the virus can remain active in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours, even after the infected person has left the area.
As many as 9 in 10 people who are not immunized against measles will contract the virus after close contact with an infected person, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
According to the CDC, early signs of a measles infection typically appear about seven to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
Initial symptoms can include a cough, runny nose, watery eyes and a high fever. Small white spots, called Koplik spots, may develop inside the mouth about two to three days later.
A skin rash, the hallmark of measles, appears on the head or other parts of the body about three to five days after first signs of illness, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
A person with measles is contagious four days before and four days after the rash appears, infectious disease experts say.
While most people survive an infection, measles can lead to complications like pneumonia, encephalitis or brain swelling, deafness, intellectual disability, and, in rare cases, death.
People who are most at risk of developing measles-related complications include young children under 5, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, federal guidelines show.
There are no antiviral treatments or medications that are federally approved for measles.
