Six more cases of measles confirmed in Clark County

Clark County Public Health has confirmed six additional cases of measles in the county, the agency announced Friday.

The new cases are not connected to a case of measles confirmed July 22 in an unvaccinated Clark County child.

The six new cases, all unvaccinated children, were exposed to measles in private settings, according to Clark County Public Health.

No additional public exposure locations have been identified for any of the new cases.

So far this year, Clark County has had 15 cases of measles. Eight were reported in January and February. Thirteen of the 15 cases involved unvaccinated children; the vaccination status of two adult cases were unknown.

Measles is a highly contagious and potentially serious illness caused by a virus. The virus spreads through the air after a person with measles coughs or sneezes. A person with measles can spread the virus before they show symptoms, and the virus can linger in the air after someone who is infectious has left.

Measles symptoms begin with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by a rash that usually starts on the head and spreads to the rest of the body.

A person exposed to measles will begin to get sick in about one to three weeks after exposure. People are contagious with measles up to four days before the rash appears and up to four days after the rash appears.

Public Health urges people who are not protected against measles to get vaccinated.

Residents who have questions about the vaccine or are unsure whether they are protected should talk to their healthcare provider. Vaccination records are also available through the state’s MyIR Mobile system.

Measles poses the highest risk to people who have not been vaccinated, including infants younger than 12 months. The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine provides the best protection against measles. One dose of the vaccine is about 93 percent effective at preventing measles. Two doses are about 97 percent effective.

Measles can be serious for all age groups. However, children younger than 5 and adults older than 20 are more likely to suffer from measles complications.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday 2,318 confirmed measles cases — surpassing last year’s total of 2,289, just seven months into this year.