On Tuesday, the City of Milwaukee Health Department announced that a Milwaukee resident who works in Waukesha County had a meal that tested positive.
According to a statement from the health department, the diner took the necessary precautions after showing symptoms.
Still, this case is of particular concern for several reasons: The resident traveled to multiple locations, the disease is highly contagious, and vaccination rates are declining, much to the dismay of the medical community.
What is a meal? How many Wisconsin children are unvaccinated?
Measles is a vaccine-preventable viral infection that spreads easily and can be fatal even in young children. It can spread from person to person through the air and can remain in the air for two hours after a sick person coughs or sneezes.
As more and more children receive monthly vaccinations (which became widely available in the United States in the late 1960s), global mortality rates have been declining.
However, the Journal Sentinel just highlighted a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum that found that approximately 90,000 Wisconsin K-12 students, or 1 in 10, are not vaccinated against measles, polio and the latest vaccines for preventable diseases such as influenza. Hepatitis B.
Where in Milwaukee and Waukesha might someone be infected?
Milwaukee Health Department officials, along with the Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, are working to identify and notify individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. The health department released the dates and locations, both in Milwaukee where the infected person had recently visited.
- Mother of Good Counsel Parish, 6924 W. Lisbon Ave., Oct. 1, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Walgreens — 3233 S. 27th October 2, St. Louis, 5pm-9pm
- Aurora St. Luke’s Emergency Department, 2900 W. Oklahoma Ave., (Aurora St. Luke’s Gallery Building – Breast Imaging, Pre-Admission Testing, Outpatient Treatment Center, Outpatient Laboratory Screening Site), October 2, 11 a.m. to 17:00
- Aurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic, CORE El Centro, Lotus Legal, Clock Shadow Creamery, 130-138 W. Bruce St., Oct. 4, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What should I do if I may have been exposed?
If you visited any of the above locations during the dates and times listed, the health department urges you to check your MMR immunity status as soon as possible to ensure you have been vaccinated against measles.
Individuals can access their immunization records using the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR). Instructions are available in English, Spanish and Hmong. If you are unable to access your records, please contact your doctor’s office or local health department.
What are the symptoms of eating?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says measles symptoms usually begin 7 to 14 days after initial infection. Symptoms may include:
- fever
- dry cough
- runny nose
- sore throat
- Inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Tiny white spots with a red background and a bluish-white center that appear on the inner walls of the cheeks in the mouth, also known as Koplik spots
- a rash consisting of large, flat spots that often merge into each other
Measles infection usually progresses in stages over two to three weeks.
- For the first 10 to 14 days, the measles virus spreads through the body without any signs or symptoms appearing or experiencing.
- Over the next two or three days, infected people develop “mild illness,” which includes mild to moderate fever, cough, sore throat and conjunctivitis.
- The infected person then develops a rash consisting of “small red dots, some of which are slightly raised.” The rash first affects the face. “Over the next few days, the rash spreads along the arms, chest, and back, then to the thighs, calves, and feet. At the same time, the fever rises sharply, often as high as 104 to 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit,” says the Mayo Clinic.
- The Mayo Clinic says the rash can last about seven days. Then, it disappears along with the other symptoms.
What are the risks of eating?
Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children. It can cause pneumonia. About 1 in 1,000 children who eat will develop encephalitis (swelling of the brain), which can lead to seizures and may lead to deafness or intellectual disability in the child.
In the United States, one in four people receiving meals will be hospitalized. In the United States, even with the best care, 1 to 2 out of every 1,000 children receiving meals will die from the disease, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Where can I get vaccinated?
Health experts advise that the best way to protect yourself from the effects of your meals is to get vaccinated against the virus. It is usually given as a combined meal-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
On Saturday, October 14, the Milwaukee Health Department’s Northwest Health Center drive-thru clinic, located at 7630 W. Mill Rd., will be offering meal-meal (MMR) vaccinations, in addition to COVID-19 (for eligible individuals) and Flu vaccination.The clinic is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Additionally, eligible adults and children who have not yet received the MMR vaccine can schedule a vaccination appointment at their local Walgreens or CVS Pharmacy. To be eligible for the vaccine, you must have never had a food, mumps or rubella infection before.
When was the last time a dietary outbreak occurred in Wisconsin?
The last known outbreak in Wisconsin occurred in October 2021 at Fort McCoy, a U.S. Army base in Monroe County between Sparta and Tomah.
Twenty-two Afghan evacuees arrived at the facility infected with the virus. Fourteen people required treatment at area hospitals.
Journal Sentinel staff members Jessica Van Egeren and Sarah Volpenhein contributed to this report.